Even as the battleground Karnataka heats up, the rumour mills are working overtime, especially in media circles to fan conspiracy theories. Even as people tried to fathom what is happening in the political circus of Karnataka, there was news that Karnataka MLAs were being shifted from Karnataka to some other state to stop them from defecting to the BJP. An India Today journalist reported last night that the DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) did not give permission for a chartered flight which was to be used by Karnataka MLA elects to be shifted elsewhere.
https://twitter.com/IndiaToday/status/997132380249833472?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
This news spread like wildfire, with many media persons referring to the same as the death of democracy and how BJP has put all agencies to ‘good use’.
https://twitter.com/pujamehra/status/997154079523639296?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Journalists associated with The Hindu, without checking facts, referred to the said DGCA move as ‘goondaism’.
https://twitter.com/pujamehra/status/997155695257628672?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
However, when someone pointed out that the news of permission being denied could be fake, Puja Mehra, a journalist with The Hindu shifts goalpost and says how this is not the ‘only news item about his goondaism.
https://twitter.com/pujamehra/status/997159650012401665?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Pro AAP journalist, who seems to have given up on Kejriwal and gone back to Congress camp, too chimed in with the unverified news.
https://twitter.com/rupashreenanda/status/997180238860771328?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
NDTV ‘sources’ were also working overtime last night.
https://twitter.com/ndtv/status/997159633180680192?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
To which another pro-AAP journalist Ashutosh and Associate Editor (Politics) with Catch News, Aditya Menon, who was caught stoking tensions in Kashmir by using fake images, invoked Nirav Modi and Vijay Mallya.
https://twitter.com/ashu3page/status/997164096310120448?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
https://twitter.com/AdityaMenon22/status/997162928141946880?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
It seemed like the entire army was out in full force to make sure the fake news reaches far and wide before clarifications fall through.
Thankfully, Jayant Sinha, Minister of State for Civil Aviation clarified that the DGCA denying the permission to the chartered flight to fly is fake news.
https://twitter.com/jayantsinha/status/997166294700101632?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
To that, The Hindu journalist Vijaita Singh said how the claims are asserted by JD(S) and hence it would be better if Sinha puts out facts instead of just claiming that it is fake news.
https://twitter.com/vijaita/status/997169726395703298?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
To that, Sinha clarified, that domestic chartered flight require no DGCA approval.
https://twitter.com/jayantsinha/status/997179947524476929?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
He added that the ministry will give a detailed report today.
Meanwhile, Congress MLAs, who may soon swear in to serve the public, were seen escaping and changing buses on Hyderabad highway, where they are expected to stay.
https://twitter.com/ANI/status/997208920014782464?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw