CHENNAI: Social media accounts linked to the DMK and BJP are engaged in an all-out war to spread misinformation against each another. The strategy is simple — create fake ‘poll promises’ of the other party and share them along with the real ones. The idea is to create a particular perception of the party in the minds of voters.For example, an image circulated by pro-DMK handles has pictures of BJP leaders and the party symbol, and declares that the BJP promised to make Sanskrit mandatory for MBBS students. The only problem is that the BJP never made such a promise.
Similarly, an image spread by BJP-affiliated handles falsely says the DMK promised to demolish temples and establish study centres in their place.It all started soon after the DMK released its manifesto. Right-wing forces started spreading misinformation in the form of Photoshopped cards, which looked like the DMK’s manifesto, bearing photos of DMK patriarch Karunanidhi and party chief MK Stalin. Several social media retweeted the images, urging their followers not to support the DMK.
The DMK-supporting accounts hit back when the BJP released its manifesto. They shared similar Photoshopped cards to mislead the public. Initially, BJP supporters pointed out that the information was fake. Later, they conceded that most of the false information was based on the BJP’s ideology but no such promises were made.The DMK-supporting handles spread fake news to such an extent that the BJP had to issue a clarification. The official Twitter handle of the Coimbatore urban unit of the BJP, @bjp4kovai, stated that the DMK spreads false news using edited images due to fear of failure. It condemned the efforts of the DMK and challenged the party to confront it head on.
When asked about this, a functionary of the DMK IT wing said, “None of the DMK IT wing members shared the fake cards. But our party supporters did it in response to what the BJP supporters did after our party released its manifesto.
”He added that the party’s IT wing is ready to face a probe by the cyber wing of the police, and pointed out that the BJP-affiliated handles stopped spreading misinformation about DMK’s poll promises after the “counter attack.”
What the ‘propaganda artists’ are saying
Social media is abuzz with fake news on parties’ manifestoes. Here’s a sample
About DMK
1. Study centres will replace temples
2. Urdu will be compulsory for Classes 1-12
3. Kanimozhi’s name will be changed to Annai Kannaki
4. Criminal cases against DMK will be withdrawn
5. Ban on marrying an adopted daughter will be lifted
About BJP
1. First-year medical students will have to learn Sanskrit
2. Sanskrit will be compulsory for NEET after 5 years
3. Ram statue will be installed at height of 8,000 ft instead of Valluvar statue
4. Party membership card will be issued to protect members from being arrested
5. Party posts will be given according to the crime rate of the member
6. Ports in TN will be handed over to private sector
7. Fishing near private ports will be banned
8. 10 lakh low-wage workers will be brought from UP
9. Brahmins will get free temple land
10.Sanskrit will be compulsory in schools
11.Special task force will be set up to prevent inter-caste and inter-religious marriages