DNA Special: I&B Minister Prakash Javadekar says some media persons spreading fake news in name of journalism

On Monday, Twitter suspended 250 handles for spreading fake news. On this matter, the first reaction from the government has come. In an interview with Zee News Editor-in-Chief Sudhir Chaudhary, Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar opened up about fake news being spread after the Union Budget 2021 was presented. Javadekar cleared that suspension of Twitter handles was entirely the work of Twitter, and it was not the action of the government.

The Union Minister further said that the Twitter handle of Prasar Bharati was also held, however, later it was released. In addition, he said that some journalists are spreading fake news in the name of journalism, how legitimate is it? Through this, how legitimate is it to spread hatred in society?

Giving two recent examples, Javadekar said that one person died during the farmer tractor parade on January 26. A journalist presented this incident on Twitter in such a way that the person died due to police firing. While the truth is that the police did not fire during the whole incident.

Similarly, during the unveiling programme of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose's portrait in Rashtrapati Bhavan, it was said that the picture unveiled is not that of Netaji, but of an actor. Netaji's family denied this. The actor denied it. How valid is it to share such news on the public platform without any confirmation? In the end, all these turned out to be fake news.

Government's response to fake news spread about Budget 2021

Apart from this, all kinds of fake news are being spread about the Union Budget 2021, to which Javadekar said that the Modi government is committed to the welfare of farmers. Therefore, many programmes have been started for farmers in the past six years. In order to provide funds for these programmes, the government has thought about imposing agricultural cess on many services. The amount of agricultural cess that will be imposed on any item, the same amount of other taxes will be reduced. In such a situation, the burden of agricultural cess will not fall on the common man.

He made it clear that the government has increased Rs 2.5 on petrol and Rs 4 on diesel, but excise duty has been reduced in the same amount, in such a situation that the burden will not be on the customers. Instead of just tax, it has been named cess. This is a change about which fake news is being spread.

Fake news on LIC

Prakash Javadekar said that fake news is also being spread about Life Insurance Corporation (LIC). "Let me tell you that the ownership of LIC will be with the Government of India. Some shares of LIC will be sold through IPO," he said.

Javadekar said that this Budget is very special. He said that people need relief from inflation, not from tax. He said that both the government and the general public have been hit hard by the COVID pandemic. The government's revenue has decreased. The government has tried to give a boost to industries which will create a large number of jobs. People will get employment and their life will be easy.