Baseless information rules the roost in TN campaign

National or state or even fledgling parties, leaders and cadre are proving that they are second to none in feeding lies to impress the electorate. From misquoting leaders to attributing lies to experts, parties are experimenting with a plethora of ideas in the slanging match with political rivals.

A recent WhatsApp campaign run by right wing people in support of failed demonetization was a case in point. An elaborate message attributed to a former RBI governor said, the Congress had opposed demo because its attempt to pump in devalued currency notes printed using worn out machines from Pakistan had failed.

The message read, “Congress had auctioned a worn printing machine from Nasik to a Pakistani firm. Over Rs 5 lakh had been printed and kept ready to pump into the country, but demo has stopped it,” attributing it to the former RBI head. Another message quoted former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan as discrediting NYAY (Nyuntam Aay Yojana) scheme, the same day he had vouched for the feasibility of the minimum income support scheme.

In the era of post-truth, nondescript party sympathizers and national parties are not the only people who utter lies or advance arguments unbelievable even by the existing political standards. But, a ruling AIADMK minister jumped on to the bandwagon on Tuesday saying, “The Rs 1.76 lakh crore amassed in 2G case (accused acquitted and now on appeal) was slowly spilling out,” referring to the Vellore I-T raids.

The same minister had ‘revealed’ a few days ago that the opposition has planned “operation blue sky” to pump mind boggling sum in to the state for the polls. Incidentally, I-T hit DMK treasurer Duraimurugan the very next day. The minister had also predicted more raids against the DMK candidates.

A DMK senior for his part said, the police patrol vehicles and ambulances were carrying tons of cash for the ruling party candidates. The latest was from DMK spokespersons on Monday when they claimed that the video showing cash bundles stocked in gunny bags were originally taken at the raids conducted in a benami contractor’s house in Chennai last week and usedagainst Duraimurugan now.