The Congress party has initiated legal action against Bhartiya Janata Party leader Priti Gandhi for allegedly “spreading fake and divisive news to disrupt the Bharat Jodo yatra. She is currently in the news for allegedly spreading morphed photos and videos of one girl recently seen in Bharat Jodo yatra with Rahul Gandhi.
This is just one example of spreading lies in society. This journey started not now but after the rising social media campaign tool for elections in 2014. The general election changed the whole Indian political world. It was a new technique for everyone for the election campaign initiated by Narendra Modi’s social handles and supporters. It was an aggressive campaign,’ Aab ki, Baar Modi Sarkar’.First time India has seen a presidential election pattern in India’s parliamentary democracy. India saw a 2014 election where Modi supporters are giving slogans as Modi sarkar, not a BJP sarkar.
India has created new essence of unconventional election patterns on the ground of American election techniques. Opposition parties have not developed such marketing techniques and advertising any electoral politics called IT Cell. But instead of focusing more on publicizing government schemes and initiatives, it turned into ideological turf to troll each other. India has seen many hateful conversations and cyber bullying on social media.
There are a few incidents where opposite-party workers fought against each other on the road based on social media posts. Political parties provided huge finance to paid trollers to set their personal goals.
Mr. Rahul Gandhi had become the biggest victim of online hatred. While coming into mainstream politics as MP, Social media trollers called him ‘Pappu’.Who started calling Pappu is in Congress now. That is another topic.
But Gandhi’s family faced a lot of personal criticism. Even many trollers commented on the Gandhi family below the belt. As the rising popularity of Narendra Modi, the IT cell of political parties became active on social media. The morphing of images and videos has become a general aspect.
A recent example of the Nirmal Kumar incident is the new matter of Priti Gandhi, who faced criticism for Congress leaders. Gain popularity in social media has become the population’s main priority.
There is a thin line between fact and fiction. Serving fake news is even a crime. How to stop it and how to control the source for mainly such a populated country is a ridiculous problem. There are a few incidents where Facebook and the IT ministry disputed norms and policy reform. After framing the Indian Information technology act 2021, there is still a provision that needs to be addressed by the Union government immediately.
There are a lot of people who indulge in fake news on Facebook and Whatsapp. But the priority needs as off today is to the changed mindset of social media users. It is also essential for national security and law and order situations.
Even technology has many advantages. The Advancement also has many disadvantages and misuse. It is not the government not aware of this, but also many policies are taken in a biased way. Recent extra restriction on a left-wing social profile is not but the influence of power politics.
People from the adolescent age are using abusive comments, especially on public figure profiles. You can see the comment below the news article. You will find it the destruction of young people’s mindset by excessive use of social media. Leave left and right-wing, who will be accountable for destroying public property after social media hatred comments.
Now controlling social media is out of hand, but we must be responsible citizens to prevent people from hatred. Priti Gandhi may get short-term publicity, but young fighting with each other for leaders will have to suffer at the end of the day.
We don’t know what the future will be. But this hatred can come to your door step if we take it lightly.
This opinion article written by Mohit Soman, Senior Journalist Prittle Prattle News.
(The opinion expressed in the article are personal )
