News Tamil Nadu

DMK IT Wing Peddles Photoshopped Image Of MoU With Trilliant; TN ‘Fact-Checking’ Unit Fails To ‘Fact Check’ The Fake Image

September 9, 2024
The Commune

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin’s recent US trip is viewed with skepticism by critics after his claims of signing a ₹2000 crore MoU with energy solutions company Trilliant. Photos shared by Stalin, showing him with a man identified as Jim Madej, allegedly Trilliant’s President, were revealed to be misleading after fact-checks uncovered Madej’s actual role as COO of a different company, Viridi.

The DMK’s IT wing has come under fire for allegedly photoshopping images and misidentifying officials, raising doubts about the MoU’s legitimacy and fueling online backlash.

Stalin’s trip to the US has become riddled with doubt and confusion. A few days ago, he posted on his official X handle about the signing of a ₹2000 crore Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Trilliant, a US-based energy solutions company.

To ‘celebrate’ this, the DMK IT wing handles peddled misinformation by photoshopping the photos shared by MK Stalin.

In the pictures posted by Stalin celebrating the agreement, he is seen standing next to a man identified as Jim Madej, who was claimed to be the President and Chairman of Trilliant. However, fact-checks revealed that Jim Madej was not connected to Trilliant. Neither the website had such information, nor did Madej’s social media profile or LinkedIn reflect this information. It was mentioned that Madej was the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Viridi, an entirely different company.

Based on Trilliant’s website information, the actual Chairman of Trilliant was Andy White.

To peddle this further, the DMK’s IT cell used social media and what looked like Pakistani/fake accounts to promote this. Notably, the individual who appeared alongside CM Stalin was also misidentified.

Jim Madej introduced Mike Mortimer, who is the Chief Commercial Operating Officer (CCOO) of Trilliant. Still, DMK’s online supporters allegedly edited his title and affiliation, presenting him as the President of Trilliant to lend credibility to the event. The IT Wing had also photoshopped the name “Trilliant” and added it to the pictures shared by MK Stalin to make them appear more authentic.

Once this discrepancy was exposed, miraculously Jim Madej’s name was added to Trilliant’s website as President, raising further doubts about the authenticity of the information being circulated.

After the point was exposed, the Tamil Nadu government’s fact-check team, led by former fake news spreader YouTurn’s Iyan Karthikeyan, claimed that Jim Madej is the new President of Trilliant, but the company’s website has yet to be updated because he joined recently. This response has only intensified the backlash, with critics mocking the explanation.

Adding fuel to the fire, an official press release from the Tamil Nadu government, which details the MoU event, makes no mention of Jim Madej at all. Instead, the release only highlights Mike Mortimer, the Chief Commercial Operating Officer (CCOO) of Trilliant. This inconsistency has raised further doubts about the authenticity of the claims made by DMK’s IT cell and left many questioning the narrative being promoted by government channels.

After spreading the alleged misinformation with the help of fake accounts, the team even got Madej to speak in a video confirming the MoU signed and that Trilliant was excited to work in TN and provide jobs.

However, the fact-checking team failed to fact-check the Photoshop job by the IT Wing. Netizens questioned the “fact checkers and mocked them for their shoddy job.

Photoshop seems to be a favourite pastime of the IT Wing of the ruling party. Even recently, they shared a badly photoshopped picture of MK Stalin at New York Times Square.

Conclusion

This incident is a stark reminder that in the age of instant scrutiny, attempts to manipulate facts are bound to backfire. The Tamil Nadu government must embrace accountability and honesty if it hopes to regain public trust and uphold its reputation on the global stage.

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