Arnab Goswami and Republic TV that he founded with the help of BJP’s Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar are facing public wrath for seemingly fake news on Congress President Rahul Gandhi. Also joining the public ‘hall of shame’ is Times Now, Goswami’s former channel, for the same fake news.
This all started after Republic TV flashed a story, claiming that the Congress was mulling three seats for Rahul Gandhi in this year’s Lok Sabha polls. Its headline said, “POLITICAL SCOOP: Concerned about losing in Amethi, Congress mulling three seats for Rahul Gandhi to contest 2019 elections.”
A similar headline by Republic TV’s rival Times Now said, “Sources said that Congress President Rahul Gandhi is likely to contest the Lok Sabha Elections from Nanded in Maharashtra and Chhindwara in Madhya Pradesh, apart from Amethi in Uttar Pradesh.”
While Republic’s headline only stated three seats being mulled by the Congress for its president, Times Now even specified those three seats, perhaps to outsmart its rival TV channel.
Soon, journalists and constitutional experts were quick to remind the two channels, often accused of pushing pro-BJP agenda, that under Section 33 (7) of The Representation Of The People Act 1951, a person cannot contest the Lok Sabha polls from three seats simultaneously. The Act says, “A person shall not be nominated as a candidate for election in the case of a general election to the House of the People (whether or not held simultaneously from all Parliamentary constituencies), from more than two Parliamentary constituencies.”
As expected, both channels and Goswami began to face brutal trolling for exposing themselves while trying to outdo each other on allegedly peddling fake news.
A single candidate can fight on maximum two seats just like Modi did in 2014. @republic tv stop spreading fake news. @DrSYQuraishi sir how do we complain about fake news like this? https://t.co/w60R7MkjsY
— Jignesh Meena (@JigneshRM) January 22, 2019
The law says a person cannot contest from more than two constituencies.
But then, I’m expecting too much of Times Now to actually think about the law before reporting.
Congress bashing + TRPs > Law of the Land. https://t.co/3Jpl3nQICx
— Meghnad (@Memeghnad) January 23, 2019
Q 16. Can a person contest elections to Lok Sabha/Vidhan Sabha from as many constituencies as he likes?
Ans. No
As per Section 33 (7) of R. P. Act, 1951, a person cannot contest from more than two constituencies for a Lok Sabha/Vidhan Sabha election. https://t.co/EKvMJCkSsg— Jeanette Rodrigues (@Darkwyr) July 27, 2018
Dear @republic your ignorance is amazing you can contest from a maximum of two seats. You are entitled to your Bjp propaganda but not your own facts https://t.co/9HPoirpuTq
— Swati Chaturvedi (@bainjal) January 23, 2019
A candidate can contest only on 2 seats so there’s no way Congress can be mulling 3 seats for @RahulGandhi. Thoda control mey phaik liya karo. #FakeNews https://t.co/dYLp4ML6Mi
— Aditya Menon (@AdityaMenon22) January 22, 2019
wtf man? three seats? from which sources did you get this info?
— Sayan Bakshi (@SayanBakshi15) January 22, 2019
Idiots rules does not allow anyone to contest from three seats max is 2
— Gurpreet Singh (@gscldh) January 22, 2019
On Wednesday, the Congress had announced the official entry of Priyanka Gandhi in active politics after she was appointed as the AICC General Secretary for the Eastern Uttar Pradesh.
Republic TV and Times Now are biased towards BJP agenda. Cobra post had already exposed them. So, people are well aware of their biases. They are fooling non other than their bosses.