By Mahera Dutta
BOOM’s video series ‘Facts Neeti’ sought to capture what leaders across the political spectrum thought about fake news, especially in light of the 2024 general elections. Our primary focus was to find out leaders’ opinions about how misinformation adversely impacts the electoral process. We asked them if they thought fake news was a problem if they had ever been a victim of it themselves, and what policies can be brought in to curb the rise of misinformation.
Who we interviewed: Party members from the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Indian National Congress (INC), All India Trinamool Congress (AITMC), All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIDKM), Shiv Sena, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMM), Communist Party of India (Marxist). Some independent candidates were also part of the mix.
States we covered: Maharastra, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Delhi.
Here’s a round-up of some of the responses.
Is Fake News A Problem?
Hitting the nail on the head, G. Ramachadran from the AIADMK, Coimbatore said: “Unfortunately, wrong information spreads like wildfire. On social media, it is amplified way more than fact-checked information.”
BJP’s Anirban Ganguly from Bengal said misinformation is being resorted to by various non-state actors that get ‘active’ during elections, trying to doctor information. “Misinformation can play a make-or-break role during elections. So, it must be countered by facts. Ashok Purkait from the ruling party said incorrect information generates wrong ideas about journalists with less knowledge about the information they churning in the public domain.
Imtiaz Jaleel of AIMM sees the conundrum of fake news as a global problem that need an instant solution. “Every political person and candidate is targeted during elections. Nobody is spared,” Jaleel told BOOM.
Have You Been a Target of Fake News?
While many politicians we interviewed said they were victims of fake news, some said they were not. Saira Shah Halim from CPI (M), Bengal said, “I have always been targeted because I have been very vocal. I fight for everybody and every community."
Prakash Ambedkar from the Vanchit Bahujan Aaghadi took centre stage to speak about the misleading perception of his party’s role in politics. “For the last forty years, I have been facing this issue. I have been through many phases, for now, it’s the Congress party that’s spreading the narrative that we are their B-team. This is fake and dis-informative,” Ambedkar said.
VVIP's Richard Vincent says misinformation against him has tarnished his personal equations with certain people. "Those who believe in false news find it hard to accept the truth," he said.
What Can The Government Do To Curb Misinformation?
Arvind Samant from the Shiv Sena (Uddhav faction) thinks the government should have an app or information centre that exclusively caters to fact-checking information deemed inaccurate.
Shiv Sena’s (Shine faction) Rahul Shewale told BOOM that the election commission has already set up a unit to deal with the menace of fake news. He urges political parties to analyse laws that can curb fake news. Shrirang Barne from the same party says that the matter has been brought up a couple of times in the parliament. Barne is confident that the central leadership will be able to tackle the issue. Members of the opposition, nonetheless, have differing views.
CPI(M)’s Sujjan Chakraborty says misinformation is being organised by those ‘in power.’ “The news being propagated by the ruling party in a state is fake most of the time,” he alleged, stating challenges in acquiring correct information from the right sources.
“There are people who have created factories to spread fake news. These people should be punished in a court of law,” suggests Srijan Bhattacharya of CPI(M). Tapas Roy from BJP Kolkata says we need to make better use of smartphones. “We should all be concerned and the authorities should be more vigilant,” he said.
"Lawmakers should protect those who work with facts and information and not create any draconian law against them,” Kanhaiya Kumar, INC’s candidate from NE Delhi told BOOM.
"A solution to target fake news cannot come into being impulsively. I have spoken in the parliament about it [misinformation]. It is a worrisome topic," said NCP's Supriya Sule.
