In a move that has raised concerns about threat to democracy and freedom of speech & expression, the DMK government in Tamil Nadu, has decided to create a Fact Checking Unit under the administrative control of Special Programme Implementation which is the portfolio of DMK scion and Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin.
This FCU is going to be headed by Iyan Karthikeyan, a Dravidian Stockist YouTuber known for peddling DMK propaganda.
Iyan Karthikeyan was previously the Editor-in-Chief of YouTurn, a self-proclaimed “fact-checking” website that also has a YouTube channel where Iyan Karthikeyan along with his team rant for the most part under the pretext of “fact-checking”.
They frequently target DMK critics like Maridhas, journalists Rangaraj Pandey and Sandhya Ravishankar apart from peddling canards about the BJP and its leaders.
Iyan Karthikeyan took to his social media on 30 October 2023 to announce his withdrawal from YouTurn.
சில ஆண்டு சம்பளம் இல்லாமல் யூடர்ன் ஆசிரியராக தொடங்கிய பயணம்.
மெல்ல மெல்ல வளர்ந்து பிபிசி நேர்காணல் உட்பட பல செய்திகளில் நமது பணி பற்றி பேசப்பட்டது, பல்வேறு பத்திரிகைகளில் விவாத நிகழ்ச்சிகளில் பங்கேற்று பேசியுள்ளேன், Tedx இல் பேசியது, கூகுள் நீயூஸ் இனிசியேட்விவ் பயிற்சியாளர்,…
— Iyan Karthikeyan (@Iyankarthikeyan) October 30, 2023
After news of his appointment as “Mission Director” of “Fact-Checking Unit” hit the headlines, Iyan Karthikeyan took to social media to announce the same.
“Addressing hate speech does not mean limiting or prohibiting freedom of speech. It means keeping hate speech from escalating into something more dangerous" – UN secretary General, António Guterres
I am appointed as Mission Director for the Fact check unit under the…
— Iyan Karthikeyan (@Iyankarthikeyan) November 1, 2023
Concerns have been raised about the need for a ‘fact-checking unit’ and the opaque selection process for appointments to various posts.
The eligibility criteria and the selection process for these positions has raised questions about transparency and equal opportunities for all candidates.
It is to be noted that Iyan Karthikeyan is an engineering graduate. The odds of him having similar qualifications as that of those mentioned in the leaked GO are pretty strange.
Amidst this, it has come to light that Iyan Karthikeyan who has been made the “Mission Director” of the Fact-Checking Unit will receive a monthly salary of ₹3 lakh.
This is more than what the Director of Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) earns. A recent report revealed that revealed that S Somanath who had spearheaded the Chandrayaan-3 mission putting India’s Vikram Lander and Pragyan Rover on the moon, earns ₹2.5 lakhs a month.
Iyan Karthikeyan getting ₹3 lakh per month of tax payer’s money comes at a time when nurses and teachers are fighting for equal pay and the state is in severe debt.
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