fact-checker – The Commune https://thecommunemag.com Mainstreaming Alternate Wed, 06 Mar 2024 10:51:38 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.3 https://thecommunemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/cropped-TC_SF-1-32x32.jpg fact-checker – The Commune https://thecommunemag.com 32 32 Self-Styled Fact-Checker Maintains No Pro-Pak Slogans Were Raised In Vidhana Soudha Despite FSL Report & K’taka Home Min Confirmation https://thecommunemag.com/self-styled-fact-checker-maintains-no-pro-pak-slogans-were-raised-in-vidhana-soudha-despite-fsl-report-ktaka-home-min-confirmation/ Wed, 06 Mar 2024 10:51:38 +0000 https://thecommunemag.com/?p=71355 A few days ago, social media was abuzz with allegations of the Karnataka Congress members chanting ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ slogans. This happened after the Congress candidate Syed Naseer Hussain’s Rajya Sabha victory in Karnataka was announced. A video of his supporters “allegedly” chanting ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ was circulated on social media platforms.  Alleged fact-checker Mohammed Zubair immediately […]

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A few days ago, social media was abuzz with allegations of the Karnataka Congress members chanting ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ slogans. This happened after the Congress candidate Syed Naseer Hussain’s Rajya Sabha victory in Karnataka was announced. A video of his supporters “allegedly” chanting ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ was circulated on social media platforms. 

Alleged fact-checker Mohammed Zubair immediately jumped into action to prove that Pakistan Zindabad slogans were not raised. He claimed that instead of Pakistan Zindabad, the supporters were chanting ‘Naseer Saab Zindabad’. 

The footage was analysed by a private forensic agency FSL which proved that pro-Pakistani slogans were indeed raised. The presence of these slogans was identified in both the audio and video components. The submitted report to the state government asserted that the footage remained unaltered as reported by India Today. 

Police arrested three people Mohammed Shafi Nashipudi, Munavar Ahmed, and Mohammed Iltaj. It has been revealed that all three of them have close ties with the Congress party. 

Days after being disproved, the alleged fact-checker wrote a long post on his social media handle justifying his stand that Pro-Pakistan slogans were not raised. 

He wrote, “Karnataka Police has arrested 3 individuals for allegedly raising ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ slogans in Vidhana Soudha. The Home Minister has also given a statement confirming that Pro-Pakistan sloganeering were raised. Many want to arrest me for my tweet. But 𝐈 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐦𝐲 𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐬. 𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝟏𝟎𝟎% 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨 𝐏𝐫𝐨-𝐏𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐬, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 ‘𝐍𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐫 𝐒𝐚𝐚𝐛 𝐙𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐛𝐚𝐝’.”

He twisted the narrative to prove his lies by shifting focus to the “right-wing” and the media. He continued in the same post, “We’ve seen a pattern in the X thread below of how Right Wing and the media have been accusing opponents and their supporters of raising Pro-Pakistan slogans during celebrations. Even in this case, The FALSE claim was started by Kannada News channels which were denied by many reporters present on the ground, including Smita Prakash’s colleague. She and many other RW trolls want BlrCityPolice to arrest me for starting facts. You see a pattern of how misinformation has been doing rounds in Karnataka.”

He then went on to narrate instances where media, BJP, and “propaganda news agencies” like ANI shared “fake news”. 

“1. In January, the BJP and (Media including propaganda News Agency 

ANI) heightened its criticism of Congress as anti-Hindu while alleging that on the orders of the state government, police personnel had removed a Hanuman flag from a flag post in the Keragodu village of Mandya. However, in reality, the flag post was on government land, on which only the national flag and the flag of Karnataka were permitted to be hoisted. But the Anti Congress Propaganda ran for more than a week on Television. Congress in Karnataka was clueless on how to counter it. 

2. In Feb, After the budget, BJP leaders and Media targeted the Congress government claiming Congress took money from Hindu temples and was using it to fund religious institutions that were non-Hindu. This was run for 2-4 days. Again Congress in Karnataka was clueless on how to counter these false claims. Neither was there any FIR against people who spread this False Propaganda. 

 3. After Endowment Amendment bill, BJP and Media claimed that Siddaramaiah govt began taxing Jaziya to Hindu temples by 10%. But it was under Yeddyurappa’s govt who first Amended the bill in 2011. Infact, The Akhila Karnataka Archakas (Priests) Association supported the bill in a press conference and said that small temples were short of funds, They urged the opposition BJP to support the Congress govt’s move to divert tax money from rich A grade temples to smaller temples for the uplift of 36,000 C grade temples in the state, categorized on the basis of income. But here again, BJP and Media were successful in their False Propaganda claiming Congress in Anti Hindu and Pro Muslims. Congress couldn’t counter counter their Propaganda, Nor did it take any action against fake news peddlers for amplifying these false claims.”

He concluded by saying that this was how the BJP with the help of local and national media was winning the propaganda war and also stated that “Congress in Karnataka is still clueless on how to counter it.”  

Interestingly, he deleted his “fact-check” posts that gave a clean chit to “Pakistan Zindabad” slogans raised in Jaunpur, UP. He has not apologised or expressed regret for misleading the public about his mistake. 

Here are some netizen reactions:

https://twitter.com/Alphat00nist/status/1764998987038531988

 

It is noteworthy that the Karnataka government in August 2023 was pondering over seeking help from Zubair’s AltNews to “combat fake news”. 

https://twitter.com/archi_tandewala/status/1765027347361861868

In December 2023, the Karnataka government selected five firms, including Gauri Media named after murdered journalist Gauri Lankesh, for its fact-checking units to combat fake news on social media. Logically, Trylika and OW Data Leads will focus on fact-checking, analytics, and capacity building, while Gauri Media’s expertise in the Kannada language contributed to its selection. It was also announced that independent fact-checkers would also be enlisted to aid the government’s misinformation prevention efforts. Critics argue that if the likes of Zubair are enlisted, then the quality of fact-checking can be assumed to be of the level of this fact-check. 

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The post Self-Styled Fact-Checker Maintains No Pro-Pak Slogans Were Raised In Vidhana Soudha Despite FSL Report & K’taka Home Min Confirmation appeared first on The Commune.

]]> Alleged Fact-Checker Zubair’s Claims On ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ Slogans Fall Flat; Forensic Analysis Proves Pro-Pak Slogans Were Chanted https://thecommunemag.com/alleged-fact-checker-zubairs-claims-on-pakistan-zindabad-slogans-fall-flat-forensic-analysis-proves-pro-pak-slogans-were-chanted/ Sat, 02 Mar 2024 07:47:30 +0000 https://thecommunemag.com/?p=71082 A few days ago, social media was abuzz with allegations of the Karnataka Congress members chanting ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ slogans. This happened after the Congress candidate Syed Naseer Hussain’s Rajya Sabha victory in Karnataka was announced. A video of his supporters allegedly chanting ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ was circulated on social media platforms.  Alleged fact-checker Mohammed Zubair immediately […]

The post Alleged Fact-Checker Zubair’s Claims On ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ Slogans Fall Flat; Forensic Analysis Proves Pro-Pak Slogans Were Chanted appeared first on The Commune.

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A few days ago, social media was abuzz with allegations of the Karnataka Congress members chanting ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ slogans. This happened after the Congress candidate Syed Naseer Hussain’s Rajya Sabha victory in Karnataka was announced. A video of his supporters allegedly chanting ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ was circulated on social media platforms. 

Alleged fact-checker Mohammed Zubair immediately jumped into action to prove that Pakistan Zindabad slogans were not raised. He claimed that instead of Pakistan Zindabad, the supporters were chanting ‘Naseer Saab Zindabad’. 

However, this has fallen flat. Forensic analysis of the footage reveals that Naseer’s supporters in the Karnataka Assembly did indeed chant pro-Pakistan slogans while celebrating his victory. The presence of these slogans was identified in both the audio and video components. The submitted report to the state government asserted that the footage remained unaltered as reported by India Today. 

On 28 February 2024, a huge controversy unfolded when this unidentified individual, now recognised as a trader from Byadagi, arrived at the Vidhana Soudha to commemorate the victory of Congress leader Syed Naseer Hussain in the Rajya Sabha election. On 29 February 2024, Karnataka police had already arrested Mohmad Shafi Naashipudi for the incident, as disclosed by Superintendent of Police Anshukumar, who identified the detained individual as Mohmad Shafiq Naashipudi.

Zubair blamed Kannada news channels for propagating ‘lies’. He wrote an entire thread buttressing the Congress that no such slogans were raised.

He even quoted a journalist who was allegedly present during the sloganeering that there were no Pakistan Zindabad slogans.

 

This time, Zubair was fact-checked and disproved by the forensic analysis and the arrest by Karnataka Police.

This is not the first time Zubair has buttressed the Congress establishment. He has always spoken in support of anti-India, anti-Hindu forces. Here are a few examples:

In December 2023, as Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam MP Dayanidhi Maran’s derogatory comments on Hindi speakers surfaced online once again, Dravidianists and alleged fact-checkers jumped into the scene with their explanations and justifications. Most prominent among those buttressing the DMK was the alleged fact-checker Mohammed Zubair of the propaganda outlet Alt News. His explanation for the video was that it was a 4-year-old video. He targeted ANI for their reportage, he wrote, “Hello @smitaprakash, Denounce Dayanidhi Maran’s Anti UP/Bihar speech in strongest terms, But your News Agency @ANI, @PTI_News and other News Channels getting video bites should at least mention that you/they are running his 4-year-old speech from June 2019. By not doing so, Your agency and other News Channels are proving that they are running a Propaganda set by the ruling Govt.”

His tweets buttressing Dayanidhi Maran were reposted by the DMK MP himself. In multiple tweets, Zubair kept repeating that the video was four years old but never condemned the hate speech of the DMK MP.

In October 2023, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman distributed credit assistance totaling ₹3,500 crore to beneficiaries in Coimbatore. The event was part of the Credit Outreach Program, aimed at providing financial support to various sectors of the economy, particularly those in aspirational districts. However, amid the program’s proceedings, an interruption occurred when an individual claimed that he had not received a loan, garnering media attention. In a remarkable display of transparency and democratic values, Nirmala Sitharaman invited the aggrieved individual onto the stage to address his concerns. Alleged fact-checker labelled the Union Finance Minster’s remarks as “arrogant.” He went silent when it was proved that the “aggrieved” person was a business owner and had been informed by the Bank of Baroda that he couldn’t secure a fresh loan of ₹40 lakhs due to an existing unpaid loan under his wife’s name. Despite this, Sathish persisted in his claims at the event.

In August 2023, when Rahul Gandhi’s “flying kiss” controversy broke, Zubair was hell-bent on proving that the flying kiss was not directed at Smriti Irani but the entire Parliament. 

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The post Alleged Fact-Checker Zubair’s Claims On ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ Slogans Fall Flat; Forensic Analysis Proves Pro-Pak Slogans Were Chanted appeared first on The Commune.

]]> Self-Styled Fact-Checker & Dravidianist Propaganda Outlet ‘YouTurn’ Peddles Fake News About Prevention Of Communal And Targeted Violence Bill  https://thecommunemag.com/self-styled-fact-checker-dravidianist-propaganda-outlet-youturn-peddles-fake-news-about-prevention-of-communal-and-targeted-violence-bill/ Mon, 15 Jan 2024 03:26:15 +0000 https://thecommunemag.com/?p=67479 In the hallowed arena of fact-checking, an institution’s commitment to impartiality is the linchpin of its credibility. However, a disconcerting pattern has surfaced within an alleged fact-checking unit YouTurn, founded by Iyan Karthikeyan, the ‘Mission Director’ of DMK Government’s Fact-Checking Unit (FCU), as it consistently directs its scrutiny toward opposition parties while maintaining a conspicuous […]

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In the hallowed arena of fact-checking, an institution’s commitment to impartiality is the linchpin of its credibility. However, a disconcerting pattern has surfaced within an alleged fact-checking unit YouTurn, founded by Iyan Karthikeyan, the ‘Mission Director’ of DMK Government’s Fact-Checking Unit (FCU), as it consistently directs its scrutiny toward opposition parties while maintaining a conspicuous silence on the actions of the ruling government.

The essence of fact-checking lies in its role as an unbiased arbiter, ensuring accuracy in public discourse and holding all political actors accountable. Yet, the observed selectivity of this unit raises crucial questions about its dedication to the principles of journalistic integrity, prompting concerns about the erosion of public trust and the unit’s potential transformation into a tool of political partisanship.

In the recent fact-checking analysis of the speech by BJP Tamil Nadu State Secretary Ashwathaman on a YouTube channel, YouTurn inaccurately assessed the content, leading to the publication of fake news in its website and falsely branding Ashwathaman’s speech as fake news.

In the interview to Aadhan Tamil, Ashwathaman said, “Congress government brought a bill in parliament in 2013, according to the provisions of which FIR can registered only on the Hindus but not on Muslims and Christians, if there is a communal violence in India.”

Alleged Fact Check Unit YouTurn “fact-checked” this speech of Ashwathaman and said that YouTurn’s fact-checking analysis found that Ashwathaman’s speech qualifies as fake news, citing two key points.

Firstly, the Congress-proposed Bill (PCTV 2011) does not explicitly state that, in the event of riots, legal actions can only be taken against Hindus, exempting Muslims and Christians. Secondly, the legislation is designed to safeguard individuals from caste, religious, and linguistic minorities, emphasizing that it is not exclusively targeted at Christians and Muslims.

YouTurn has adeptly manipulated the language within the draft bill to substantiate their assertion. In the draft bill it is clearly defined what is “communal and targeted violence.”

In chapter 1 section 3, the bill says, “communal and targeted violence means and includes any act or series of acts, whether spontaneous or planned, resulting in injury or harm to the person and or property, knowingly directed against any person by virtue of his or her membership of any group, which destroys the secular fabric of the nation.”

The key point here is the definition of the word “group”. It says, “group means a religious or linguistic minority, in any State in the Union of India, or Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes within the meaning of clauses (24) and (25) of Article 366 of the Constitution of India.”

Consequently, by elucidating the term “group,” the draft bill implies that the proposed law is applicable only when violence is perpetrated against Muslims, Christians, and other minorities, including SCs and STs as per the draft bill, in the event of an outbreak of violence. There are no provisions in the bill which states that actions will be taken against Muslims, Christians or other minorities in case of a violence outbreak against Hindus.

This is what Ashwathaman mentioned in his speech that, in case of a violence outbreak, according to the provisions of the bill, no FIR will be filed on the Muslims and Christians while there are provisions to file FIR against Hindus.

Further, Clause 7 prescribes that a person is said to commit sexual assault if he or she commits any of the sexual act against a person belonging to a ‘group’ by virtue of that person’s membership of a group. Clause 8 prescribes that ‘hate propaganda’ is an offence when a person by words oral or written or a visible representation causes hate against a ‘group’ or a person belonging to a ‘group’. Clause 9 creates an offence for communal and targeted violence. Any person who singly or jointly or acting under the influence of an association engages in unlawful activity directed against a ‘group’ is guilty of organised communal and targeted violence.

This draft Bill proceeds on a presumption that communal trouble is created only by members of the majority community and never by members of the minority community.

Thus, offences committed by members of the majority community against members of the minority community are punishable. Identical offences committed by minority groups against the majority are not deemed to be offences at all.

So, a sexual assault is punishable under this Bill only if committed against a person belonging to a minority ‘group’. A member of a majority community in a State does not fall within the purview of a ‘group’.

‘Hate propaganda’ is an offence against the minority community and not otherwise. Organised and targeted violence, hate propaganda, financial help to such persons who commit an offence, torture or dereliction of duty by public servants are all offences only if committed against a member of the minority community and not otherwise. No member of the majority community can ever be a victim.

This draft law thus proceeds on an assumption which redefines the offences in a highly discriminatory manner. No member of the minority community is to be punished under this Act for having committed the offence against the majority community. It is only a member of the majority community who is prone to commit such offences and therefore the legislative intent of this law is that since only majority community members commit these offences, culpability and punishment should only be confined to them.

Finally, the propaganda and fake news of Youturn regarding the PREVENTION OF COMMUNAL AND TARGETED VIOLENCE Bill can be dismantled with a straightforward question: “Can a FIR can be filed against a Muslim or Christian in case of violence according to the provisions of the bill”? The answer is a resounding NO. Therefore, Ashwathaman’s assertion that FIRs can only be filed against Hindus is accurate, and, consequently, the so-called “fact-checkier” YouTurn founded by DMK Government FCU’s Mission Director has in effect published a fake news.

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The post Self-Styled Fact-Checker & Dravidianist Propaganda Outlet ‘YouTurn’ Peddles Fake News About Prevention Of Communal And Targeted Violence Bill  appeared first on The Commune.

]]> Is DMK Govt Flouting Norms To Appoint A DMK Supporter & YouTuber As Head Of “Fact-Checking Unit”? https://thecommunemag.com/is-dmk-govt-flouting-norms-to-appoint-a-dmk-supporter-youtuber-as-head-of-fact-checking-unit/ Wed, 01 Nov 2023 06:55:22 +0000 https://thecommunemag.com/?p=63425 When then Tamil Nadu Finance Minister PTR Palanivel Thiagarajan presented the state’s budget for the year 2022-23, he mentioned that the state government has decided to form a special Social Media Monitoring Centre under the police department. He claimed that the Social Media Monitoring is being set up to ‘to battle fake news and misinformation […]

The post Is DMK Govt Flouting Norms To Appoint A DMK Supporter & YouTuber As Head Of “Fact-Checking Unit”? appeared first on The Commune.

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When then Tamil Nadu Finance Minister PTR Palanivel Thiagarajan presented the state’s budget for the year 2022-23, he mentioned that the state government has decided to form a special Social Media Monitoring Centre under the police department. He claimed that the Social Media Monitoring is being set up to ‘to battle fake news and misinformation on social media platforms’.

However, The Commune back then had raised concerns stating that the DMK government with the state police machinery under its control might use it to muzzle dissenting voices.

Ever since the DMK came to power, there has been a series of crackdowns on political activists, journalists and social media activists who are opposed to the DMK and Dravidian ideology.

And the latest move of the DMK government is a step further in this direction that will sound a death knell to freedom of speech and expression in Tamil Nadu.

“Fact-Checking Unit” Headed By DMK Supporting YouTuber For DMK

It has been announced that the Government of Tamil Nadu has decided to create a Fact Checking Unit under the administrative control of Special Programme Implementation which is the portfolio of DMK scion and Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin. This FCU is going to be headed by Iyan Karthikeyan, a Dravidian Stockist YouTuber known for peddling DMK propaganda.

YouTurn is a self-proclaimed “fact-checking” website that also has a YouTube channel where Iyan Karthikeyan – now ex-Editor-in-Chief and Co-founder along with his team rant for the most part under the pretext of “fact-checking”. They frequently target DMK critics like Maridhas, journalists Rangaraj Pandey and Sandhya Ravishankar apart from peddling canards about the BJP and its leaders.

Their website claims that YouTurn is a legally registered organization exclusively focused on fact-checking and is certified by none other than IFCN Poynter which has links with George Soros. 

Iyan Karthikeyan took to his social media on 30 October 2023 announcing his resignation from the organization.

On 31 October 2023, The News Minute’s Shabbir Ahmed shared a post on social media platform X that said, “Sources say former Youturn editor Iyan Karthikeyan is likely to head the Tamil Nadu government fact checking and hate speech monitoring unit.”

His appointment was later confirmed by Savukku Media headed by political commentator Savukku Shankar in a series of tweets.

As news of his appointment spread on social media, on 1 November 2023, Iyan Karthikeyan shared a post announcing his appointment on his X handle.

He wrote, “Addressing hate speech does not mean limiting or prohibiting freedom of speech. It means keeping hate speech from escalating into something more dangerous” – UN secretary General, António Guterres. I am appointed as Mission Director for the Fact check unit under the administration of SPI, Tamilnadu. Thank you Hon. CM MK Stalin and Hon. Minister of SPI Udhay Stalin for the opportunity. Fighting against Hatred is the job of everyone!”

However, an official announcement is pending until the time of publishing this article. The news making the rounds created quite a buzz given the “credibility” of Iyan Karthikeyan and the entity, YouTurn itself.

Questionable Selection Process

The Tamil Development and Information Department had apparently issued an ordinance to oversee the formation and operation of the Fact-Checking Unit. As per a report published by Savukku Media, the unit will consist of 73 temporary positions, apart from the posts of Chief Director, Project Director, and Associate Director (Govt Statements). The selection process for these positions has raised questions about transparency and equal opportunities for all candidates. The secrecy surrounding the decree has led to doubts about the true purpose of the scheme. Questions that arise regarding the selection process include:

  • In which newspaper was the advertisement calling for applications for these posts placed? 
  • How many applications were received?
  • When did the interview happen? 
  • Where did it happen? 

Qualifications and experience-related details for the above posts have surfaced on social media platform X. The basic qualifications are pretty confusing – the ideal candidate must have either an Engineering degree or a Master’s degree in Journalism. Critics have questioned why a fact-checker must have an engineering degree. 

It has come to light that Iyan Karthikeyan is an engineering graduate. The odds of him having similar qualifications as that of those mentioned in the GO are pretty strange.

Political commentator Savukku Shankar alleges that these qualifications have been come up with to ensure Iyan fits the criteria and gets picked for the role.

He wrote a post on X that said, “DMK Supporter and YouTuber Ayan Karthikeyan is an Engineering grad. He holds a masters in Journalism. Precisely to accommodate him, TN Govt has fixed this strange qualification for Mission Director post in the upcoming Fact Check Unit which carries a pay package of 3 lakhs per month. As per the norm, even this is done without the knowledge of CM” 

Why Is It A Concern?

The establishment of the FCU and the selection process seems to have completely happened in the dark without public knowledge raising allegations of favoritism.

The other obvious concern is using public money to hunt down on critics of the DMK and its government.

Annexure-III of the document regarding the functions of the Fact-Checking Unit states that “The FCU would take up complaints relating to govt, its ministries, departments, public sector entities, etc for evaluation/fact-checking. The FCU takes Suo Moto cognizance on fact-checking as well as received complaints from various sources.  The received information is split into actionable pool and non-actionable pool. From the actionable pool, the Central Task Force would consult with the Advisory Team from the Government’s Legal & Police Department and forward it to the concerned authorities to initiate legal action.”

Savukku Shankar denounced this move and posted on X stating, “The powers given to the Fact Checking Unit and its Mission Director Designate Ayan Karthikeyan are draconian. Suo Motu powers are given to the Unit to flag and shut down channels, tweets and other social media posts critical DMK govt. Stalin is creating a monster which kill dissent in social media.” 

The salary details of the posts have also been announced and the figures are mind-boggling. At a time when nurses and teachers are fighting for equal pay and the state is in severe debt, this announcement makes one question the intent of the government. 

History Of YouTurn & Iyan Karthikeyan

The channel was started about 4 years ago and the primary goal of the website/channel was to target Hindus (specifically Brahmins), mock them, and rant. The most common punching bag turns out to be Chanakya’s Rangaraj Pandey and YouTuber Maridhas.  Iyan Karthikeyan and his team made it a point to “counter” Pandey and Maridhas in pretty much all of their videos mainly because Pandey continued to keep his surname and comes from the “upper class” while Maridhas is known for putting out facts and criticising the ruling DMK government.  At a glance, one can realise that the YouTube videos are not essentially fact-checks but are rants instead. They regularly abuse Brahmins and flog the dead horse that is Manusmriti. 

Here Are Some Instances Where YouTurn’s “Fact-Checking” Were Debunked

Spreading half-truths about Nanganallur temple which came under the Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) department. 

In April 2023, a tragic incident occurred at the Dharmalingeshwarar Temple in Nanganallur, Chennai, during the Theerthavari festival in the Tamil month of Panguni. Five young individuals, aged between 18 and 22, tragically drowned while participating in temple rituals. In an effort to deflect blame and evade responsibility for the Nanganallur temple mishap in which five people drowned, certain DMK leaders and alleged fact-checkers (read Iyan Karthikeyan), disseminated false information. They claimed that the temple was not under the purview of HR&CE (Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department). However, netizens swiftly provided evidence that the Nanganallur temple, the site of the tragic incident, indeed fell within the jurisdiction of HR&CE and was specifically identified on the HR&CE website with a reference ID. Recognising the inaccuracies in his initial tweet, Karthikeyan later posted a tweet asserting that the temple was privately owned. He argued that the HR&CE department’s attempts to assume control were prompted by issues with temple management. 

Fake allegations on PM Vishwakarma Yojana

When the Pradhan Mantri Vishwakarma Yojana was announced, the channel posted a video that claimed that the scheme was promoting ancestral/clan-based or family occupation. All their claims were debunked by The Commune here. 

Incorrect Understanding Of Financials

On 28 October 2023, Iyan Karthikeyan posted on X saying he would debunk TN Bharatiya Janata Party President K Annamalai’s claim that a child born in TN had a debt of ₹3.5 lakh on its head compared to an “income” of ₹17000 for a child born in Gujarat. 

On his website, he posted screenshots of newspaper articles claiming “the debt of Gujarat state has increased to ₹3.4 lakh crores and every citizen has a debt of ₹48,500.” in a bid to counter BJP Tamil Nadu President K. Annamalai’s statement on Tamil Nadu having a huge public debt compared to Gujarat.

This was instantly debunked by political observer Krishna Kumar Murugan who said, “Gujarat state has presented a revenue surplus budget of ₹9038 crore. Tamil Nadu has presented a revenue deficit budget of ₹37,540 crore with a debt of ₹ 7.5 lakh crore.”

Sharing the example of a failed “fact-check”, Murugan asked, “Is it necessary to have a Fact Check Unit with 80 posts on public tax money while part-time teachers and nurses are fighting for permanent employment for TET pass candidates?”

It must be reminded that a few years ago, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin felicitated several YouTubers, and among them were those who made rape jokes, created vulgar content, and abused Brahmins. Among the ones who met the CM was Iyan Karthikeyan. 

The establishment of an FCU and appointing a DMK supporting YouTuber is nothing but an attempt at social media policing targeting critics of the DMK.

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]]> TIME Exalts Fake News Peddling YouTuber Dhruv Rathee As ‘Next Generation Leader’ https://thecommunemag.com/time-exalts-fake-news-peddling-youtuber-dhruv-rathee-as-next-generation-leader/ Sat, 07 Oct 2023 10:31:24 +0000 https://thecommunemag.com/?p=61718 Popular YouTuber Dhruv Rathee has been featured on the list of TIME Magazine‘s ‘next generation leaders 2023’. Rathee has been named for his “fact-checking” work and presenting “educational content” on various topics through his channel, which has over 13 million subscribers and features more than 500 videos. Using social media platform X to celebrate the news […]

The post TIME Exalts Fake News Peddling YouTuber Dhruv Rathee As ‘Next Generation Leader’ appeared first on The Commune.

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Popular YouTuber Dhruv Rathee has been featured on the list of TIME Magazine‘s ‘next generation leaders 2023’. Rathee has been named for his “fact-checking” work and presenting “educational content” on various topics through his channel, which has over 13 million subscribers and features more than 500 videos.

Using social media platform X to celebrate the news on Friday, Rathee posted, “TIME Magazine’s Next Generation Leaders 2023. I’m honoured to be included in this prestigious list and proud to represent India internationally. Thank you.”

It is noteworthy to mention that TIMES had negatively insinuated Hindu as “groups” in the Nuh violence while underplaying the role of Muslim mobs as “Muslim residents” who were instrumental in instigating the violence. 

https://twitter.com/vijaygajera/status/1710269643515179488?t=BKH6f8Fx-iasvkBkqxKo7A&s=08

Rathee is known as one of the young critics of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi government. His content often includes critiques of government policies, political parties, and public figures. He has been hailed as the next generation of progressive and left-leaning thinkers and due to his popularity, he is now a darling of the I.N.D.I Alliance because he has been critical of the BJP’s government actions and policies in India.

Dhruv Rathee gained a lot of prominence when he created several videos discussing the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which Congress and other so-called secular parties and several Muslim organizations called a controversial piece of legislation.

The CAA was passed in December 2019 and grants a path to Indian citizenship for religious minorities (Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians) from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan who came to India before December 31, 2014. However, it does not include Muslims.

Rathee in his YouTube channel criticized the law, as he assumed that it had a potential impact on India’s secular principles and the rights of Muslims. He also talked about his perspectives on the protests that took place across India in response to the CAA and the National Register of Citizens (NRC), which is seen by many as being closely linked to the CAA.

This is where his ideology blinded his judgment and he started calling the CAA as anti-Muslim. But in reality, CAA was enacted as a law intended to protect persecuted religious minorities in neighboring countries, while critics, like Rathee, argue that it discriminates against Muslims and goes against India’s secular and inclusive principles.

A vlogger with a pro-Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) stance, he released an analysis of the Delhi Riots on March 3, 2020, via a YouTube video. Nonetheless, Rathee’s analysis relies on sources that have faced public criticism for their inaccurate reporting, and he also omits significant details about the riots in his assessment.

He had also peddled fake news about the BJP during the Bengal elections saying that only the BJP was campaigning while giving clean chit to TMC, Congress and Left parties.

As a young person who is able to articulate in front of a camera, Dhruv Rathee soon gained significant followers on YouTube and now he is considered an important source of knowledge and information. Now since he has been recognised by Time Magazine, Rathee will now gain international recognition and become the darling of the woke brigade.

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The post TIME Exalts Fake News Peddling YouTuber Dhruv Rathee As ‘Next Generation Leader’ appeared first on The Commune.

]]> Alleged Fact-Checker Zubair Tries To Buttress RaGa’s Alleged Flying Kiss Gesture In Parliament https://thecommunemag.com/alleged-fact-checker-zubair-tries-to-buttress-ragas-alleged-flying-kiss-gesture-in-parliament/ Wed, 09 Aug 2023 11:47:05 +0000 https://thecommunemag.com/?p=59127 Just as news of the alleged flying kiss gesture in Parliament by Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi came in, the alleged fact checker was quick to buttress the whole incident. Little did he know that the video he shared had the actual gesture captured on camera, thus proving his own tweet incorrect. He tweeted, “This is […]

The post Alleged Fact-Checker Zubair Tries To Buttress RaGa’s Alleged Flying Kiss Gesture In Parliament appeared first on The Commune.

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Just as news of the alleged flying kiss gesture in Parliament by Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi came in, the alleged fact checker was quick to buttress the whole incident.

Little did he know that the video he shared had the actual gesture captured on camera, thus proving his own tweet incorrect.

He tweeted, “This is the video of Rahul Gandhi just before Smriti Irani spoke. Is there any other video of him allegedly blowing “Flying Kiss” to Smriti Irani as claimed by Shobha Karandlaje? Also in her, speech Smriti Irani said, Rahul Gandhi blew a ‘flying kiss’ to a Parliament which has female members. Not ‘Flying Kiss to Smriti Irani’ as tweeted by Payal Mehta. Interesting, Even Smriti Irani spoke about ‘Flying kiss’ at 13:22 after it was tweeted by Payal Mehta at 13:10.”

Netizens were quick to point out the alleged flying kiss in his own video.

https://twitter.com/SmokingLiberals/status/1689200362484609024

Zubair also alleges that the “kiss” was not directed at Smt. Irani.

In this report, you can read the various Congress leaders and other alliance members who are acknowledging that the alleged flying kiss was blown by Rahul Gandhi as he finished his speech.

He tries to compare two statements given by Union Minister Shobha Karandale. In an interview with ANI she said, “By giving Flying kiss to all women members, Rahul Gandhi went away.” However, he says that in the complaint letter, the complainants have mentioned it as “Inappropriate gesture towards Smriti Irani”.

Zubair doesn’t stop with the flying kiss. He continues to dig into the former allegations of Smriti Irani. Here is one. He writes, “Remember she had problem when a Minister from opposition party addressed her with “Dear”. But had no issues when party person wrote a letter with “Dear Smriti Irani ji”.”

Unfortunately for Zubair, he ended up comparing a formal letter and an informal medium such as Twitter and probably does not understand salutations and nuances when addressing a lady in public.

It is indeed difficult to come to a conclusion regarding Zubair’s intentions in attempting to fact-check whether the flying kiss was indeed directed, particularly towards Smt. Irani, the Speaker, or the members present in the treasury benches.

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The post Alleged Fact-Checker Zubair Tries To Buttress RaGa’s Alleged Flying Kiss Gesture In Parliament appeared first on The Commune.

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