CPI(M)’s dirty works team, scribes behind fake news; trolls wrote on Vijayan’s FB page they want to kill PM Modi for denying the UAE aid
For the last many days, Left-Liberal journalists, CPI(M)’s cyber army, jihadi elements and anti-Modi activists were attacking and trolling the Central government for turning down an alleged offer of Rs 700 crore (100 million USD) for flood relief in Kerala. But now, the UAE government has officially announced that there was no such move. The question now is who spread this fake news and how it got such traction nationally. It was a point of discussion on prime time TV channels like India Today with Rajdeep Sardesai was seen grilling Central Minister Alphons Kannamthanam on this question.
As more and more details emerge, it becomes clear that the whole controversy was the creation of the CPI(M) Dirty Tricks Department with support of journalists. The controversy was deliberately created to hide the failure of the state government which had messed up the flood management.
It was CPI(M) state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan who first made such a statement. Chief Minister of Kerala Pinarayi Vijayan gave legitimacy to the fake news item by mentioning it during his press conference. Vijayan told reporters: “Today morning, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed bin Sultan Al-Nahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, informed our Prime Minister about their contribution for Kerala and this was conveyed to me by M.A. Yusuf Ali… We also express the gratitude of Kerala to HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE and the Emir of Abu Dhabi, and HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Prime Minister of UAE and Emir of Dubai.” Following this, state finance minister Thomas Isaac tweeted: “We asked Union Gov for financial support of ₹2200 Cr ; they grant us a precious ₹600 Cr . We make no request to any foreign gov but UAE gov voluntarily offer ₹700cr. No, says Union gov, it is below our dignity to accept foreign aid. This is a dog in the manger policy (sic).”
What followed was an avalanche of trolls with many people calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi names. One such troll wrote on Chief Minister’s FB page that he wants to kill PM Modi. The national media and Left-liberals also took up this and started targeting PM Modi.
Pro-Jihadi outfits like Popular Front and SDPI launched a malicious anti-India campaign and some of them wanted Kerala to accede to UAE and become United Kerala Emirates. Big hoardings were put up across the state by these forces thanking UAE rulers for the ‘offer of help’.
Now that the cat is out of the bag, the CPI(M) is looking for scapegoats. Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said the information about the aid was intimated to him by businessman Yousuf Ali. But Ali on Thursday (August 23) dismissed the claim. Adding to the CPI(M)’s woes, Ali’s office issued a statement that they would initiate legal proceedings against media outlets if his name is dragged into the controversy.
Janam TV’s correspondent Gowtham Ananthanarayan, who blew the lid off the Rs 700-crore donation row, told Indus Scrolls that he was abused and threatened by Communist and pro-jihadi elements. Janam TV’s office was also flooded with threat calls. Now, those who made threat calls were running for cover, after UAE ambassador’s clarification.
However, since our fact-checkers were busy checking the websites of Sewa Bharati, they are yet to get wind of the controversy.
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