Yellow Journalism? Congress Fabricating Fake News of Nalin Kateel to Win Votes’- BJP Legal Cell
Mangaluru: Addressing the media persons during a press meet held at BJP Election Campaign Office, near Bunts Hostel, Kadri Road, Mangaluru on Saturday, 30 March, Advocate K Shambhu Sharma, convener of district BJP legal cell said, “Congress leaders and their party workers are again playing dirty tricks through digital media/TV by fabricating false news of BJP candidate for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, Nalin Kumar Kateel. Smelling defeat of their candidate in the LS election, congress is trying to come out with all kinds of tricks, including fabricating false news, on TV and digital media, for vote bank. They are sticking to Yellow journalism kind of campaign”.
“Yellow journalism ( yellow press), is a type of journalism that presents little or no legitimate well-researched news and instead uses eye-catching headlines to sell more newspapers or gain publicity. Techniques may include exaggerations of news events, scandal-mongering, or sensationalism. By extension, the term yellow journalism is used today as a pejorative to decry any journalism that treats news in an unprofessional or unethical fashion. And that’s what the congress is using the Yellow journalism mode. Through a TV channel Congress has highlighted false news of Nalin Kumar Kateel which the BJP Legal Cell is condemning ” added Sharma.
He further said, “We have come to know that on this TV channel fake news were broadcast stating that BJP candidate Nalin Kumar Kateel has joined hands with Ajith Kumar Rai Maladi, the president of Bunt’s Alias Nadavara Mathr Sangha, in order to get votes of the Bunts and Brahmins.These are baseless allegations made by Congress on Kateel, where the latter has not met nor interacted with Maladi. Even pamphlets on the same news were distributed by the Congress, and having found out about it, Ajith Kumar had clarified on that and even had filed a complaint against those who misused his name with the Police Commissioner.”
“We want to make clear to the voters that Nalin Kumar has not approached Ajith K Maladi in order to gain votes based on religion. What the TV channel has highlighted is all false, and we are taking strong action and even filing a complaint in that regard with the Police Commissioner today. We will not allow any media nor Congress spread fake news by degrading our candidate for vote bank. Congress had tried the same kind of tactics spreading fake news/allegations during the 2014 elections when Nalin Kateel was the candidate, but they didn’t succeed, because voters not believing them elected Kateel into power. We know that Kateel is a straight forward man, who never solicits people for votes based on religion or caste” added Sharma.
“Congress should campaign with true and clean news, and not use Yellow journalism through media. We don’t don’t use Saffron journalism, but genuine journalism, and that’s how election campaign should be. Winning votes by degrading the opposition candidate through fake news is not a good and the right thing to do. If Congress wants to win to win the elections, let them do the campaign the right way, truthful and legal way, and not how they are doing at present. We are warning the leaders and party workers of the Congress Party to stop such false propaganda on our candidate, if not they will face severe consequences from the BJP legal cell. While strongly condemning the act of Congress for highlighting fake news on TV/digital media, we urge the police commissioner and concerned officials in the election committee to take against the culprits” said K Shambu Sharma.
Advocates Jagadish Shenava, Sudhakar Joshi, Santhosh Nayak, Ramakrishna Rai, and Purandar Shetty of BJP Legal Cell were present on the dais during the press meet.