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DMK IT Wing Spreads Misinformation About Jio Investing In TN GIM 2024; Deletes Post After Being Fact-Checked

The Commune

The Tamil Nadu Global Investors Meet (TN GIM), launched in 2015, has been a flagship initiative by the state government aimed at attracting both foreign and domestic investments. This two-day event brought together industry leaders, investors, and government officials to showcase Tamil Nadu’s investment potential.

This year’s TN GIM started on 7 January 2024 and has played a pivotal role in attracting significant investments to Tamil Nadu. Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) worth ₹57,354 crores were signed during the event have been reported with notable contributions from major entities like VinFast’s commitment to establishing an EV manufacturing plant, Tata Electronics’ participation, and the substantial investment by the JSW Group are noteworthy highlights. AP Moller – Maersk, a prominent Danish shipping company, has expressed interest in establishing logistics hubs in the state.

However, when the DMK IT wing attempted to propagate misinformation on their X handle, claiming that Reliance Jio had put forth a commitment of ₹35,000 crore investment in Tamil Nadu’s telecom sector during the Global Investors Meet.

Selva Kumar, Vice President – TN BJP, Industrial cell, noting this fallacy criticised the DMK IT wing, and accused them of misunderstanding the message and spreading false information. He wrote, “Mukesh Ambani from Gujarat cancelled his trip to Chennai and attended the investor #GIM2024 conference only for a few minutes via video conference. Moreover, what he generally said was that Jio has invested Rs 35,000 crore in Tamil Nadu so far, but the brainless DMK IT wing has misunderstood it and is spreading the word that Jio is investing Rs 35,000 crore in Tamil Nadu.”

In a concise 2-minute video, Mukesh Ambani, the Chairman and Managing Director of Reliance Industries, conveyed his regret for not being able to attend the meeting. He expressed a sincere desire to participate but cited unavoidable circumstances that prevented his attendance. He said, “Reliance has proudly partnered in Tamil Nadu’s growth over the years. We have opened nearly 1,300 retail stores across the state investing over ₹25000 crores and Jio has invested over ₹35000 crores in Tamil Nadu bringing the fruits of the digital revolution to 35 million subscribers in every town and village in the state”.

The post put out by the DMK IT Wing in this regard has since been deleted.

This pattern of spreading misinformation is not new for the IT Wing. Some of the instances where they have peddled misinformation in an attempt to show the Stalin-led DMK government in good light include: 

In an attempt to downplay their handling of the recent floods in the state in comparison to the floods in 2015, the IT wing strived to emphasize their perceived improved performance compared to the previous ADMK administration. They shared “posts” of how water had receded and that there was no flooding whatsoever in the city during Cyclone Michaung when in reality, the city was totally flooded and there was power outage for over 24 hours in most places. 

When Chennai was facing severe flooding after Cyclone Michaung, causing widespread disruption, the situation particular affecting essential services, including the Aavin milk supply chain, impacting residents and children, supporters of the DMK and the IT Wing shared posts that showed how essential services were functioning smoothly wherein the reality was the opposite.

Private milk suppliers offered alternatives at higher prices, leading to concerns about affordability. When the controversy escalated, the DMK IT wing was allegedly spreading misleading information amid the cyclone.

In another attempt by DMK leaders, including Tamil Nadu Finance Minister PTR Palanivel Thiyagarajan and DMK IT Wing head TRB Rajaa, were involved in spreading false information about a missing rake carrying 90 coaches from Nagpur to Mumbai on 14 February 2023, but the Central Railways and the Container Corporation of India promptly debunked the claim.

The Central Railways issued a detailed clarification, confirming that the rake, carrying 90 containers, had left MIHAN ICD on 1 February 2023, and is not missing as reported. The information was deemed incorrect, and an investigation into the matter is underway.

Members of the DMK and its IT Wing go above and beyond to claim credit for any achievements that enhance the image of the Tamil Nadu government led by their party. Conversely, they actively work to downplay failures, aiming to present an image that consistently casts them in a positive light.

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