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Fake emails, hacked Twitter account as Tamil Nadu poll campaign draws to a close
As the poll campaign ended on a feverish pitch in Tamil Nadu on Sunday, the day saw the two parties battling it out on social media, accusing each other of sharing fake videos and images
As the poll campaign ended on a feverish pitch in Tamil Nadu on Sunday, the day saw the two parties battling it out on social media, accusing each other of sharing fake videos and images.
AIADMK minister for Tamil language and culture K Pandiarajan on Sunday faced criticism for a video tweeted from his verified Twitter handle. He later said the video wasn’t posted by him and that he would file a complaint with the cybercrime cell.
“I am not connected to this in any manner,” said Pandiarajan in a video message. “This tweet was posted without my permission. I will get to the bottom of this and action will be taken against those responsible. I will also be filing a complaint with the cybercrime cell. I never have the intention to defame anyone,” the minister said in his video.” The tweet was deleted from his official handle.
The doctored video was that of a 17-year-old female who had died by suicide after being unable to clear the National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (NEET). The video sourced various footage of her television interviews, with doctored audio mimicking her voice to seek votes for the AIADMK.
The woman’s brother has filed a complaint with the Ariyalur district police against his sister’s videos being used for politicking. The woman has become the face of the struggle against NEET, which is an emotional issue in Tamil Nadu, and one of the DMK’s core campaigns against the AIADMK.
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In another issue, a purported letter was being circulated on WhatsApp and social media platforms. The letter was allegedly addressed to the DMK president from the I-PAC team stating that they were losing the election. Poll strategist Prashant Kishore’s I-PAC team is a consultant for the DMK, In a tweet, the I-PAC clarified that the letter was fake. “Disgusting to see a ruling political party @AIADMKOfficial circulating a fake email to support their false propaganda. Reeks of desperation,” the I-PAC’s said in a tweet.
The campaigning for the 234 assembly election seats came to an end on Sunday evening. Tamil Nadu goes to the polls on April 6 in a single phase. Counting of votes will be held on May 2.
