Derek O’Brien, Trinamool MP, shared a ‘fact check‘ of the speech made by Prime Minister Modi in West Bengal while campaigning for the assembly elections in the state. However, as ‘fact checks’ have been normalized as a tool of propaganda in liberal circles, the senior Trinamool leader made a series of misleading claims and outright lies in order to claim victory where there was none.
O’Brien made nine claims in his ‘fact check’ of the Prime Minister’s speech. They ranged from comments on Durga Pujo to those on railways. The BJP has now issued its own fact check aiming to clear the air around the Trinamool MP’s bid to spread misinformation.
We did a #FactCheck of the speech delivered in Bengal by the Hon. Prime Minister today.
— Derek O’Brien | ডেরেক ও’ব্রায়েন (@derekobrienmp) February 22, 2021
Here it is. pic.twitter.com/PykM92vdB0
The BJP has issued a point by point rebuttal to the ‘fact check’.
People from Bengal are stopped from worshipping Maa Durga
In order to rebut the comment, O’Brien highlighted welfare activities related to Durga Puja celebrations which is entirely unrelated to the matter at hand. The BJP reminded in its response that the villagers of Kanglapahari were denied permission by the state government to celebrate the Durga Puja.
As if Bhaipo wasn’t enough, now TMC’s @derekobrienmp is trying to outdo him when it comes to sinking Pishi…
— BJP Bengal (@BJP4Bengal) February 23, 2021
Here is fact checking the ‘fact checker’, who was spreading lies and misinformation on Prime Minister’s speech.@MamataOfficial’s TMC is now getting desperate!
(1/9) pic.twitter.com/2QzUElsgvj
The BJP also pointed towards the order to postpone Vijaya Dashami immersion of Durga Idols due to a festival on the same day for the Muslim community.
Farmers of Bengal deprived of PM Kisan
Derek O’Brien claimed that the state government had sent the names of 2.5 lakh farmers in the state for inclusion in the PM-Kisan scheme. However, the BJP maintained that the Trinamool government has not permitted the scheme to be implemented.
As if Bhaipo wasn’t enough, now TMC’s @derekobrienmp is trying to outdo him when it comes to sinking Pishi…
— BJP Bengal (@BJP4Bengal) February 23, 2021
Here is fact checking the ‘fact checker’, who was spreading lies and misinformation on Prime Minister’s speech.@MamataOfficial’s TMC is now getting desperate!
(5/9) pic.twitter.com/DqYUyRCGxm
The BJP asserted that the state government insists that the funds be allocated to them which they will then transfer to farmers. The party insinuated that it could be because the state government wants its share of the pie.
Bengalis are deprived of Ayushman Bharat
O’Brien claimed that the Bengal government has a better health insurance scheme than Ayushman Bharat, the Swasthya Sathi.
As if Bhaipo wasn’t enough, now TMC’s @derekobrienmp is trying to outdo him when it comes to sinking Pishi…
— BJP Bengal (@BJP4Bengal) February 23, 2021
Here is fact checking the ‘fact checker’, who was spreading lies and misinformation on Prime Minister’s speech.@MamataOfficial’s TMC is now getting desperate!
(3/9) pic.twitter.com/mLNpIoNPRB
|The BJP said that West Bengal’s insurance cover had decreased by 4.10% between 2015-16 and 2019-2020, a period during which Assam had increased by 50% during the same period.
BJP government has boosted railways in Bengal
Derek O’Brien claimed that it was Mamata Banerjee as Railway Minister who had paved the way for infrastructure projects in the state. The BJP responded saying that the Dumdum-Dakshineswar Metro was delayed and stalled only during the current government.
As if Bhaipo wasn’t enough, now TMC’s @derekobrienmp is trying to outdo him when it comes to sinking Pishi…
— BJP Bengal (@BJP4Bengal) February 23, 2021
Here is fact checking the ‘fact checker’, who was spreading lies and misinformation on Prime Minister’s speech.@MamataOfficial’s TMC is now getting desperate!
(8/9) pic.twitter.com/G0F1AMeZsR
The BJP also mentioned the Gomoh-Dankuni section of the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor and East Coast corridor from Kharagpur to Vijayawada and East-West Corridor from Bhusaval to Kharagpur to Dankuni which will be taken up by the central government in the near future.
Other ‘fact check’ rebuttals
The other comments ‘fact checked’ by the Trinamool MP include “TMC is not letting Bengal develop”, “Bengal Government did not spend 1700 crore allocated for clean piped water to households”, “Bengal used to be an industrial hub but the situation has reversed now. People from Bengal have to move outside to search for jobs” and “The jute industry, the potato industry has suffered”.
As can be seen, these are political points that could hardly be the substance of a ‘fact check’. Nonetheless, the BJP responded to the claims highlighting how the state government has failed the people of West Bengal.
