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CM Stalin Deletes Post After It Was Found To Be False; Netizens Ask Where Is Fact-Checking Unit “Mission Director”?

The Commune

On 12 December 2023, the Chief Minister found himself retracting a post that he had made on his X handle, commending writer Rajasekaran Devibharathi for winning the Sahitya Akademi Award. The accolade was reportedly bestowed upon Devibharathi for his novel ‘Neervazhi pattoom,’ which was reported to have captured the attention of literary enthusiasts.

News circulated about the novel receiving the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award, prompting Chief Minister Stalin to express his admiration for the writer. On his social media, the Chief Minister’s post read, “Praise and congratulations for the novel of Rajasekaran Devibharathi, who has drawn attention for his writing style, which depicts the life of ordinary people with the help of myths, for being selected for the Sahitya Akademi Award.”

However, this “jubilation” was short-lived as it was soon revealed that the Sahitya Akademi had not yet announced any awards. The discrepancy led to the immediate deletion of the Chief Minister’s post, highlighting the importance of verifying information before publicizing it.

The novel ‘Neervazhi pattoom,’ authored by Rajasekaran Devibharathi, gained attention for its reported exploration of the lives of ordinary people through the lens of myths. While the writer’s work may indeed be commendable, the state’s Chief Minister’s premature congratulations on the writer praising him for an award that has not been conferred has raised eyebrows about the state of affairs in the Chief Minister’s Office.

It is noteworthy that the government set up a “Fact-Checking Unit” under one Iyan Karthikeyan, who was previously the Editor-in-Chief of YouTurn, a self-proclaimed “fact-checking” website. Political observers ridiculed the incident wondering if the unit was indeed functional. 

Political

A few months ago, a wheelchair-bound individual Vinoth Babu pulled off a scam by posing as the captain of India’s disability cricket team, even managing to meet Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin and Youth Welfare and Sports Development Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin. Babu claimed to have led the team to victory in a non-existent world tournament held in Pakistan. His audacious scam involved displaying fake certificates and a trophy during the encounter with the officials. 

The viral photograph triggered an alert from the actual Indian disability cricket team members, leading to an investigation by Ramanathapuram police.

Babu was booked under IPC Sections 416 and 420, accused of duping multiple individuals with his false captaincy and fraudulent cricket achievements. Wheelchair Cricket India Association promptly debunked his claims, revealing that Babu had never represented the country and had never participated in any overseas events, exposing a fraudulent narrative that extended to collecting donations from unsuspecting individuals.

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