Minister Santosh Lad raise concern over fake news, urges govt to take action

BENGALURU: State Minister Santosh Lad on Friday raised concern over the fake news being disseminated in regards to confrontation between India and Pakistan and urged the government to take this issue in consideration.

Speaking to media, State Minister said, “I feel that the Ministry of Defence or somebody official should come and address the fake news that are coming in… Government of India should take into consideration that wrong information can lead to chaos in the society. I request that the government should authenticate all the videos.”

The Press Information Bureau’s Fact Check unit has been constantly debunking the misinformation circulating on social media.

Pakistan-based social media handles have been trying to deliberately sabotage the narrative from the ground reality by launching intense misinformation campaigns amid these tensions.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defense has also urged media channels, digital platforms, and individuals to avoid live coverage or real-time reporting of defense operations and security forces’ movements.

The Ministry emphasised that revealing such sensitive information could compromise operations and put lives at risk, citing past incidents like the Kargil War, 26/11 attacks, and the Kandahar hijacking.

According to Clause 6(1)(p) of the Cable Television Networks (Amendment) Rules, 2021, only authorised officials can provide updates during anti-terror operations. The Ministry has called on everyone to be responsible and mindful of national security.

Pakistan on Thursday night launched a series of coordinated drone and missile attacks along India’s western border, targeting regions in Jammu and Kashmir and Rajasthan. According to Indian defense officials, the attacks were largely intercepted by India’s air defense systems, including the S-400 missile defense system, preventing significant damage.

This comes after India conducted Operation Sindoor earlier this week, which targeted terrorist camps in Pakistan following a deadly terrorist attack in Kashmir that killed 26 tourists on April 22.

The situation remains volatile, with international calls for restraint and diplomatic engagement to prevent further escalation. (ANI)