BJP running several right-wing social media accounts spreading fake news, says Stalin

The BJP was running several right-wing social media accounts that were spreading “fake news” and half of them were official pages, DMK president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin charged on Friday.

“When they are spreading fake news about us, we should immediately reply to them with evidence. If even half of those who read those posts, read your replies too, it is still a victory for you,” Mr. Stalin said, addressing a meeting of DMK’s IT wing functionaries in Chennai.

Claiming political rivals were intending to incite riots in Tamil Nadu by spreading fake news, he said during the past five years, they attempted to spread fake news only to stand exposed and be humiliated.

Calling upon his partymen to remain cautious of “fake news”, which he termed was the party’s first target to be defeated, Mr. Stalin said IT wing functionaries should reply to such fake news collectively.

Defamation was the weapon in the hands of the DMK’s political opponents, Mr. Stalin contended and said the party should not only reply to such defamatory posts but also set the agenda.

“We should not only keep playing defence but also resort to attacking once in a while,” Mr. Stalin said and called upon functionaries to use their talents in writing, photo design, memes, creation of video clippings for the party’s victory.

The duty of IT wing functionaries was not only to trend hashtags but to “set the agenda”, because his party was the king in generating content, Mr. Stalin said. The DMK was the face of the Dravidian movement, he said.

The welfare programmes implemented by the DMK government has been guiding the entire country and they should be emphasised through the social media, he said. He said he would meet the IT functionaries after the party emerged victorious in the Assembly elections.

In another event, DMK leader and Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin presided over weddings of 73 couples organised by his party. He urged them to give Tamil names to their babies.