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DMK’s Official Mouthpiece Peddles False Info That Pak Firm Donated To BJP

The Commune

Following the Supreme Court’s ruling on 11 February 2024, demanding that the State Bank of India (SBI) disclose all details regarding electoral bonds purchases and mandating the Election Commission to reveal information about donors, amounts donated, and recipients, SBI requested an extension until 30 June 2024. However, the Supreme Court rejected this request and instructed SBI to provide the necessary information to the Election Commission by the end of working hours on 12 March 2024.

Subsequently, SBI submitted its data, and on 15 March 2024, the Election Commission complied with the court order by uploading the electoral bond details on its website. Following this disclosure, numerous individuals began analyzing the information, leading to the proliferation of fake news. One particularly perplexing piece of misinformation circulated by news channel alleging that a Pakistani company had purchased electoral bonds, particularly concerning given the context of the Pulwama attack in 2019.

Amidst this spread of fake news, DMK’s Official Mouthpiece, Kalaigar News, posted a news card on its official X handle, adding to the ongoing controversy that, “BJP received funding from a Pakistani company! After the Pulwama terror attack on 14 February 2019, it was revealed that on April 18,  the BJP had received donations from a Pakistani company called “HUB Power Company” in Karachi through electoral bonds! The BJP received the donation just days after 40 CRPF personnel were killed in the Pulwama bomb attack.”

Here’s The Reality

Electoral bonds that was introduced in March 2018, were devised as a substitute for cash donations to political parties with the aim of enhancing transparency in political funding. These bonds were designated to be redeemed exclusively by eligible political parties through authorized bank accounts, with the State Bank of India (SBI) being the sole authorized bank for their issuance.

Looking into the qualifications for individuals who can purchase these electoral bonds, the Press Information Bureau website explicitly states, “As per provisions of the Scheme, electoral Bonds may be purchased by a person (as defined in item No. 2 (d) of Gazette Notification), who is a citizen of India or incorporated or established in India. A person being an individual can buy Electoral Bonds, either singly or jointly with other individuals.”

As the misinformation peddled rapidly, the independent fact-checking unit “Only Truth” swiftly provided clarification and debunked the false narrative through its official X handle stating, “Did @BJP4India receive a donation from a Pakistani organization? What is the truth? Hub Power company was started in 2008 in Delhi. This company is an all-India company that manufactures LED bulbs and Diwali decorative lights. Details in the link…👇 What is the purpose of lying that the company that donated to BJP is from Pakistan?”

Tamil Nadu BJP State Secretary SG Suryah elucidated the electoral bonds scheme, emphasizing its exclusivity to Indian citizens denouncing purveyors of misinformation through his official platform X that, “Hub Power Company is a proprietorship business entity registered in #Delhi ! Journos spreading #FakeNews it as a Pakistani Company should be ashamed to do so. Be educated that #ElectoralBonds can only be bought by either a citizen of India or a company incorporated in India.”

Despite the reports of independent fact-checking unit ‘Only Truth’, along with concise explanations and evidence provided by SG Suryah, the Tamil Nadu BJP state secretary, an inundation of comments from internet users, including DMK’s preferred fact-checkers Mohammed Zubair and D-Stock Youturn Iyan Karthikeyan, have refuted these stories as fake news. The channel continues to maintain its news card intact.

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