News Tamil Nadu

Puthiya Thalaimurai’s Serial Fake News Peddler Niranjan Kumar Peddles Propaganda Once Again, Connects Flight Cancellations To Jharkhand Political Crisis

February 3, 2024
The Commune

Once again, Niranjan Kumar, an alleged journalist working for Puthiya Thalaimurai TV (PTTV) and identified by the handle @niranjan2428 on social media platform X, has been exposed for spreading false information. In a recent post, he drew a connection between the arrest of Hemant Soren and alleged horse-trading of MLAs, framing it as a conspiracy involving the BJP. He wrote, “When JMM party thought that they could save Jharkhand MLAs by air to another state, citing bad weather all flights have been cancelled. Even though the next Chief Minister has been elected in Jharkhand and has the support of enough MLAs, after former Chief Minister Hemant Soren has been arrested. Jharkhand Mukti Morcha Party is struggling to prevent other parties from buying MLAs and not blackmailing them. They have planned to somehow take their MLAs from Ranchi to other states but all flights have been cancelled due to inclement weather in case”. 

The post triggered a range of responses and comments, but Only Truth, an independent fact-checking organization, debunked the actual facts. Reports from reputable journals and news outlets, when considered collectively, presented a contrasting narrative. In Ranchi, visibility fluctuated between 50 meters and 500 meters until 2 PM on 1 February 2024, according to information provided by weather officials. TOI reported on 20 January 2024 that fog disrupted flight services at city airport for the second day that day.

However the propagandist masquerading as journalist put a tweet justifying his earlier tweet.

Netizens mocked Niranjan for his stand as below.

 

Only Truth, an independent fact-checking organisation in their official X handle wrote, “The flights to Ranchi in Jharkhand were cancelled due to heavy fog for more than 20 days last month. Flights from Jharkhand to other states were also cancelled. The news was published in this regard. The day before yesterday, the flight from Delhi to Ranchi had to wait with passengers and crew. Why is the journalist wrongly reporting connecting the political situation in the state of Jharkhand with the flights that have been cancelled continuously?”

Instances Where Niranjan Kumar Has Been Peddling Misinformation In The Garb Of A Journalist 

Instances of disseminating misinformation have been a recurring pattern for Niranjan and PTTV. Prior incidents reveal a consistent trend of spreading false narratives and promoting divisive agendas under the guise of news reporting.

In January 2024, Niranjan’s claim about spending two days in Manali and making statements about the state’s education system was debunked by data, revealing that even Manali had a higher literacy rate compared to Tamil Nadu. His assertions about better facilities in the state were contradicted by the state’s move to seek donations for school development and concerns over the use of Hindu temple funds for schools. The deplorable condition of government model schools in the state’s capital highlighted the deterioration of the education system.

In December 2023, Niranjan, posing as a journalist, sought to stoke caste-based animosity by spotlighting the name “Sagar Sharma” in connection with the Lok Sabha security breach. By emphasizing Sharma’s surname and linking it predominantly to Brahmins, he aimed to escalate caste tensions surrounding the incident.

In February 2023, when the Reserve Bank of India’s Monetary Policy Committee raised the repo rate to 6.50 percent, ostensibly to address retail inflation concerns, Niranjan Kumar propagated misinformation. He erroneously linked the rate hike to discouraging home purchases without considering the broader economic context and the policy’s role in managing inflation and economic cycles.

In January 2023 witnessed Niranjan contributing to the misrepresentation of Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi’s statements. The governor’s call for using “Thamizhagam” instead of “Tamil Nadu” was distorted by certain media outlets, including alleged journalist Niranjan, leading to the trending of separatist tweets with the hashtag #தமிழ்நாடு.

In March 2022, amid the Russia-Ukraine war, Niranjan alleged discrimination against South Indian students in the evacuation operation from Ukraine. However, his claim lacked credible evidence or corroboration, relying solely on an unverified source—a parent of a returned student.

In February 2022 saw Niranjan peddling fake news against BJP candidate Uma Anandan, falsely asserting she lost with only 8 votes when, in reality, she emerged victorious with 5635 votes.

In January 2022 involved the dissemination of false information about the Modi Government rejecting Tamil Nadu’s tableau for the Republic Day Parade. Niranjan failed to acknowledge the annual selection process based on expert committee recommendations.

In January 2021, Niranjan was rebuked by the Office of Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for spreading fake news claiming the Minister had refused to meet Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami, citing budget consultation work.

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