As the first phase of voting is currently underway, the usual suspects are at play to insinuate that the BJP is violating the model code of conduct. A journalist associated with Times Now shared pictures wherein a car filled with ‘Namo food’ package was parked and the food packages were being distributed by a policeman to other policemen standing there.
https://twitter.com/scribe_prashant/status/1116206816860368896?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
In a tweet he stated ‘NaMo’ (instead of Namo) food packets are at play in Noida, implying that the food was ‘branded’ on the name of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is often referred to as NaMo.
He claimed that he himself had not clicked the picture, but his friend had clicked and sent it to him.
https://twitter.com/scribe_prashant/status/1116217208609198080?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
A video of a cab carrying police officers and the above food packets also went viral on social media.
https://twitter.com/secular_arrow/status/1116207715481612288?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Soon Congress leaders started questioning the Uttar Pradesh Police on why are these food packets being distributed.
https://twitter.com/priyankac19/status/1116208179245793280?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
https://twitter.com/VinayakDalmia/status/1116212809866473473?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
https://twitter.com/SalmanSoz/status/1116220618347827200?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Aam Aadmi Party leaders also jumped in at the opportunity to cast aspersions and spread panic.
https://twitter.com/Amitjanhit/status/1116217446455812096?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Other ‘journalists’ too joined in.
https://twitter.com/the_bongrel/status/1116210186958434304?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
“Fact-checkers” associated with international news agencies like AFP also decided to chime in to spread the information without verifying (d-uh!)
https://twitter.com/RizviUzair/status/1116209433045012481?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Amusingly, pro-AAP blog Janta Ka Reporter even added imaginary portion while reporting the incident and claimed that the cops ‘left’ after ‘spotting journalists’.
Not only is the report wrongly reporting ‘Namo foods’ as ‘NaMo food’, thereby insinuating it as food branded as being endorsing Narendra Modi, they also lie about ‘cops leaving’ after spotting journalists. In fact, as seen in the video, the cops leave in the cab because the traffic clears itself, not because they’re trying to run away.
As it turns out, Namo Food has nothing to do with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and is an actual restaurant based in Noida. In fact, Namo Foods has not one but 4 food outlets in Noida as per the food search website ‘Zomato’.
Not just that, the Senior Superintendent of Police, Gautam Buddh Nagar also took to Twitter to clarify that the food packets were procured at the local level for the police officers on election duty.
https://twitter.com/sspnoida/status/1116218651307155456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
The SSP clarified that these are politically motivated rumours and that the food was neither distributed by political party nor procured on the instruction of one from that particular restaurant.
https://twitter.com/noidapolice/status/1116229996891209728?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
SSP Noida even clarified that the food was procured from the local shop for the police force deployed on election duty. He specified that the restaurant name is coincidental.
However, by that time, the usual suspects were out in full force to insinuate that the integrity of the police force may be compromised. The SSP, Noida rebuked the journalist and asked her to check her language and be better informed.
https://twitter.com/sspnoida/status/1116229534573981696?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
However, by the time the official rebuttal came in, the news had already gone viral. As per reports, Uttar Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer, L Venkateshwarlu has sought a report from Noida DM over the Namo Foods packets.