Why no noise over Karnataka's 'fact-checking police': MoS Rajeev Chandrasekhar

Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Tuesday came down hard upon the section of people who create "noise and misinformation" when the Narendra Modi government brings in amendments to IT rules to counter fake news but remain silent when the Karnataka government decided to create a "Fact-checking police". The MoS for Electronics and Information Technology was referring to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's directive to the state police to crack the whip on fake news, and take strict action on those people who -- the state government believes -- are spreading the misinformation on social media. 

Siddaramaiah claimed, "Fake news witnessed a surge during the Congress' ascent to power in 2013. Once again, as the Lok Sabha elections draw near, political adversaries are resorting to the same tactics. The probability of generating additional fake news, as per usual, and attempting to instigate social unrest is significant. Consequently, it becomes imperative to identify the origins of false information at an early stage and adopt decisive measures to eradicate them entirely."

Taking to Twitter, Chandrasekhar said: "When Govt of India brings in 'Fact check' as part of IT rules ONLY to LABEL misinformation and patently false news about Govt and allow courts to adjudicate, a section of people like Zero loss @KapilSibal n @IndEditorsGuild create noise n misinformation."

"When Cong govts from 2004-2014 misused Sec66A n now Cong CMs like Hublot @siddaramaiah want to use 'Fact-checking Police' to criminalize misinformation, there's stoic silence -- Hypocrisy thy name is Congress (.. and allies n left media)," he added. 

The Union minister said the difference between the approaches to fact-checking and misinformation between PM Modi's government and the dispensations led by the Congress or its allies in Tamil Nadu, Kerala or Maharashtra is 'starkly clear'.

"Congress and its allies will make shrill and false statements about freedom of speech being violated when we propose fact check for labelling patently-false information about government and allow disputes to be resolved in court. The same Congress and Rahul Gandhi will go abroad to say that democracy and free speech are in danger, but they will go ahead and criminalize misinformation without any guard rails and use the police to intimidate and throw people into jail," he said, adding, "Next time you hear Congressmen talk about free speech, think liars, think hypocrites." 

To note, in April, the central government issued official notifications concerning revisions to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, with a focus on addressing issues of online gaming and the dissemination of false and deceptive information regarding government affairs.

"The identification of such fabricated, deceptive, or erroneous information will be undertaken by the designated Fact Check Unit of the Central Government. It is important to note that the existing IT rules already mandated intermediaries to exert reasonable efforts in refraining from hosting, publishing, or sharing any information that is blatantly false, untruthful, or misleading in nature," stated a press release by the Ministry of Information Technology.

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• Siddaramaiah
• fake news
• Rajeev Chandrasekhar