CHENNAI: Leader of the Opposition and DMK youth wing secretary Udhayanidhi Stalin on Friday criticised the state government for refusing to provide information under the Right to Information (RTI) Act on the functioning of the state’s fact-checking unit.
In a statement on X, Udhayanidhi said the Tamil Nadu Fact Check Unit was established during the previous DMK regime to combat fake news. He alleged that the incumbent government had renamed it the Information Integrity Desk and handed its responsibilities to people who engage in online abuse.
Questioning the TVK-led government’s commitment to transparency, the DMK leader asked why it was withholding government orders relating to appointments, including those of advisors and officials associated with the fact-checking unit.
TNIE had highlighted the matter in an article headlined, ‘TN declines info to RTI query on Fact Check Unit’ that was published in these columns on Friday.
“Why is the chief minister, who promised transparent governance, concealing every government order, from the appointment of his advisors to the selection of those in charge of the fact-checking unit?” Udhayanidhi asked.