Journalists from news channels across the country are rushing to Gujarat because of the Gujarat Assembly elections. Most of them are seen covering the news of their main subject of interest i.e. Gujarat elections, while some are forced by their habits and are seen trying to tarnish the image of Gujarat in some way or the other. Recently, a journalist made ridiculous claims about digital and UPI payments in Gujarat which are completely baseless.
Navbharat Times journalist Mithilesh Dhar Dubey, who calls himself ‘Bhadohi Wallah’ on Twitter, made this claim alleging that digital payments do not work in the state. Warning journalists coming to Gujarat for reporting on Gujarat elections, he tweeted, “Warning/suggestions for journalist colleagues coming to Gujarat reporting – Bring enough cash. Besides Ahmedabad, the facility of payment from Google Pay, Phone Pay, Paytm, etc. is negligible in other districts. The facility for payment by card is also very low.”
गुजरात रिपोर्टिंग पर आ रहे पत्रकार साथियों के लिए चेतावनी/सुझाव
— Bhadohi Wallah (@Mithileshdhar) November 12, 2022
पर्याप्त कैश लेकर आएं। अहमदाबाद के अलावा दूसरों जिलों में गूगल पे, फोन पे, पेटीएम आदि से पेमेंट की सुविधा न के बराबर है। कार्ड से पेमेंट की सुविधा भी बहुत कम है।#GujaratElections2022
After Mithilesh tweeted this, Abhiyan magazine’s reporter Arjav Parekh replied, “This is absolutely wrong. Digital payments have also reached villages and towns in Gujarat. We live in Gujarat, we know.” In response, the Navbharat Times journalist wrote another claim in a replying tweet that read, “I am in Rajkot. If there is a facility for digital payment in the Honest restaurant – one of the most famous food chains in Gujarat – tell me. From Ahmedabad to Rajkot, I saw it. This is just an example. In UP Bihar, even a Bhujiawala also takes online payment.”
राजकोट में हूं। गुजरात के सबसे फूड चेन में से एक ऑनेस्ट रेस्टोरेंट में कहीं डिजिटल पेमेंट की सुविधा हो तो बता दीजिए। अहमदाबाद से लेकर राजकोट तक देख लिया। ये उदाहरण मात्र है। यूपी बिहार में भुजा वाला भी ऑनलाइन पेमेंट ले लेता है।
— Bhadohi Wallah (@Mithileshdhar) November 12, 2022
Fact-check by OpIndia
As a journalist and as a Gujarati, I also know that these claims of Mithilesh are false, yet we, OpIndia, thought of directly fact-checking this attempt of tarnishing the image of Gujarat.
A local source, Ram Sinh Zala, who lives in Rajkot, was contacted by OpIndia. At first, he tried to find out the truth of this claim on the call. After that, Zala said, “This is a baseless claim. The digital payment option has been going on here for years not only in hotels but also on small lanes.”
Ram Sinh Zala asked OpIndia to give him just 10 minutes and said, “I’m just going to an Honest restaurant outlet nearby and checking for your to know what is the truth.” After some time, Ramsinh Zala reached the outlet of the Honest Restaurant on Kalavad Road in Rajkot and from there made a video call to show us that digital and UPI payment facilities are available there.
When OpIndia spoke to the employee of that Honest restaurant, it was found that not only this but also at every Honest outlet in Gujarat and across the country, digital and UPI payment facility has been available for many years. He further said, “Yes, sometimes it may happen that the facility is not available temporarily due to some technical reason, but it happens just once or twice a year, that too for an hour or two.”
जूठ की फैक्ट्री मैं अभी ये राजकोट के ऑनेस्ट रेस्टोरेंट में खड़ा हु।देख लो।और ऑनेस्ट के सभी आउटलेट पे ऑनलाइन है। कभी भी आए कोई भी आउटलेंट की विजिट करते है। ऑनलाइन ना मिले तो मैं आप जो कहे वो दंड चुका दूंगा।अगर मिल जाए तो तू पत्रकारिता छोड़ देगा? pic.twitter.com/PIjniMMfoi
— Ram Sinh Zala (@RamSinh_zala22) November 13, 2022
Netizens come together to refute this false claim
There was a lot of anger among Gujaratis against this unsubstantiated claim of the Navbharat Times journalist on Twitter. People also gave him a lot of evidence in response to his tweet.
RTI activist Sujit Hindustani, in his reply, posted a photo of a sugarcane juice shop in a village on the Ahmedabad-Mehsana highway where digital and UPI payments are accepted, Sujit Hindustani wrote in his tweet, “Please don’t spread lies. Digital payment is being accepted even by small people.”
Pl don’t spread lie
— Sujit Hindusthani (@geeta5579) November 12, 2022
Digital payment is being accepted even on small people https://t.co/NdeSBpxkxj
Another Twitter user @Aalapshukla wrote, “I live in Ahmedabad. I have to travel from Jamnagar to Daman Palanpur and leave in my car with just two 2000 notes in my pocket. There is no need to pay with those two notes anywhere. Only mobile UPI is enough to pay.”
मैं अहमदाबाद में रहता हूं। जामनगर से लेकर दमण पालनपुर तक घूमना होता है और मेरे जेब में सिर्फ दो 2000की नोट लेकर कार से निकलता हूं। कहीं भी वह दो नोट निकालने की जरूरत पड़ती नहीं है सिर्फ मोबाइल यूपीआई से पेमेंट हो जाता है।
— Aalap (@Aalapshukla) November 12, 2022
@Jaypal551983 wrote, “Stop spreading these false rumors. Digital payment facility is available all over Gujarat. Stop spreading false and incomplete information.”
ये जूठी अफवाहें फेलाना बंध कीजिये पूरे गुजरात में डिजिटल पेमेंट्स की सुविधा उपलब्ध है है जूठी और अधूरी जानकारी फेलाना बंध करें
— Jaypalsinh Zala (@Jaypal551983) November 13, 2022
The anger among the people due to this false claim was no less. A user named @Jagdish96068228 warned Mithilesh in his tweet that read, “Now do duty in Gujarat only by wearing a mask on your rotten face, otherwise Gujaratis will slap on the face, you liars.”
अब अपनी सड़ी हुई सकल पर मास्क लगाकर गुजरात में घूमना, वरना गुजराती ठोबडा रंग देंगे, चोर जूठे मक्कार की ओलाद
— Jagdish Raj (@Jagdish96068228) November 13, 2022
@i_m_prapti put up a poll on the tweet by Mithilesh and asked the people whether digital payments are available everywhere in Gujarat or not. So far, 351 people registered their responses, out of which 94% of people said that digital and UPI payment facility is available everywhere in Gujarat.
मैं गुजरात से हूं। यहां हर जगह डिजिटल पेमेंट उपलब्ध है।
— Prapti (@i_m_prapti) November 12, 2022
A user named @just_hu02 wrote in a sarcastic tone, “Journalists spreading false news should be suspended for 1 year. His social media ID should also be suspended for a year.”
गलत न्यूज फैलने वाले पत्रकार को 1 साल के लिए सस्पेंड कर देना चाहिए।
— જસ્ટ હું (@just_hu02) November 13, 2022
एक साल तक उनका सोसलमिडिया id भी सस्पेंड कर देना चाहिए।😌
Thus, an OpIndia investigation reveals the truth that the claim made by Navbharat Times journalist Mithilesh Dhar about digital and UPI payments in Gujarat is not only misleading but also completely false. It is just an attempt to tarnish the image of Gujarat just before the elections.
