DNA Edit – Election hazards: Congress floats a fake video to discredit the media

Fake news is here to stay. And it is not the BJP that is saying it. The confirmation came from the Congress party on Wednesday during cricketer-turned-Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu’s speech in the course of an election rally in Alwar, Rajasthan. The original Zee TV news clip had people in the Sidhu rally shouting “Pakistan Zindabad” (glory for Pakistan) slogans, which was provocative enough to raise hackles. The incident was captured on a live broadcast on Facebook and recorded by several participants on their mobile phones during the course of the rally. 

Sidhu’s recent visit to Pakistan and his fraternal meetings with leading anti-India lights in that country, have more than raised eyebrows here. No sooner had the video gone viral on the hyper-active social media, the Congress realising that the narrative was damaging, posted a counter video, reportedly doctored by Congress’s communication in charge Randeep Surjewala. The new version had the same individuals in the crowd mouthing “Pakistan murdabad” (down with Pakistan) — a small but significant tweak. Understandably rattled by the clip and in an effort to throw their weight behind Sidhu, Congress supporters posted a “trimmed” version of the video. Surjewala, in blatant disregard to the rules of the game, claimed that news portals were spreading misinformation. Interestingly, the video posted by him on Twitter, omits the ‘sloganeering’ part. 

Clearly, the desire and need to control the narrative is becoming too important for the Congress, which is willing to propagate fake news in an effort to popularise its version in the traditional and social media. The point is simple. Any video that is morphed, comes into the category of fake news and this clip is no different. But the fake news industry is so well organised that it is not merely a question of one doctored video. It has the potential to become the launch pad for a full-fledged campaign, as has happened in this case. The fake Congress video was picked up by party acolytes — some of whom are the country’s leading journalists — who leave behind their objectivity at home when they come for work. They, in turn, used it as a campaign, and as can be expected, re-tweeted the same video that Surjewala had shared, without a care for objectivity. 

Quite clearly, the Congress and its spokespersons’ objective is to influence the narrative by using social media, fake news and tools. Not surprisingly, Zee TV’s open challenge to the Congress, has not elicited any response. In many ways, this has major ramifications going ahead, not just for the media, but also for the conduct of free and fair elections. India has been perpetually issuing warnings to Facebook and Twitter about the dangers posed by fake news to democracy and elections, but the key question is this: while it may be easy to get global companies to heel, acting against political rivals and Indian companies who act on their behest, is going to be, by no means, easy.