647 paid news cases during LS elections 2019: EC

The Election Commission said a total of 647 cases of paid news have been found while 909 posts have been taken down from various social media platforms during the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections which ended on Sunday.

Of the total paid news cases, 57 were registered in the seventh phase of voting, one in the sixth phase, eight in the fifth phase, 136 in the fourth phase, 52 in the third phase, 51 in the second phase and the highest - 342 - in the first phase.

The EC said the total of paid news cases found in 2014 was the “worst” - at 1,297.

For the first time, the Commission said it implemented the “voluntary code of ethics for social media” and deployed experts and nodal official in all constituencies.

Among the posts taken down by various social media platforms, the EC said that Facebook has taken down 650 posts, Twitter 220, ShareChat 31, Google five and WhatsApp three.

Of the posts taken down by Facebook, 482 were political posts during the “silence period” - 48 hours prior to polling, 73 political ads during the silence period, two violations of the Model Code of Conduct, 43 cases of voter misinformation, 28 were against public morality and decency, 11 were exit polls, and 11 were related to hate speech and undue influence.

Out of 220 posts taken down by Twitter, eight posts were political posts during the silence period, 34 violated the Model Code of Conduct, 102 were voter misinformation (impersonating EC’s Twitter accounts), 74 were of exit polls, and two were of hate speech and undue influence.

All the 31 posts taken down by ShareChat are related to violation of Model Code of Conduct while three of the five posts taken down by Google are related to voter misinformation and one each of political posts during the silence period, and hate speech and undue influence.

Two of the three posts taken down by WhatsApp related to hate speech and undue influence while one was a violation of the Model Code of Conduct.

Dismissing the exit poll predictions of the Lok Sabha elections as “gossip”, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday said it was a “game plan to manipulate and replace thousands of EVMs” and urged opposition leaders to stand strong and united.

“I don’t trust exit poll gossip. The game plan is to manipulate or replace thousands of EVMs through this gossip,” Banerjee said in a social media post.

“I appeal to all opposition parties to be united, strong and bold. We will fight this battle together,” she said.

Almost all exist polls either gave a majority to the NDA or predicted it would stop close to the magic figure.

The various exit polls also forecast a massive increase in the BJP’s number of seats - from two in 2014 to between 16 and 18 in West Bengal.

Banerjee also said, “It is a game plan, planted by the Narendra Modi government. I think it is a total gossip. No one is messenger of god. I do not believe their theory.” She alleged there were 2-3 plans behind such predictions by the exit polls.

“These (exit poll predictions) are plans to weaken opposition parties and these have been circulated so that opposition alliance do not get activated,” she said.

Banerjee alleged it was a “conspiracy” to manipulate EVMs.

“Modi during his campaign had said they would get over 300 seats. It is an attempt to establish a lie as a truth through this gossip so that they can replace or manipulate thousands of EVM machines keeping administration in pressure.” According to her, activities of opposition parties would start as they are united and would talk and keep communicating with each other.

“We would decide on the common minimum agenda and also come to a decision what we would propose to the Election Commission and the President,” she said.

Banerjee also said the predictions would boost the share market “These exit polls prediction are absolutely wrong. I have talked to 4-5 opposition leaders and they feel these predictions are fake. I believe in public mandate and I strongly believe that the BJP will lose.” Come Monday, the Indian equity market is set to rally on the back of Lok Sabha elections 2019 exit polls, most of which have predicted a comfortable majority for the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

Market observers said that though a BJP-led NDA victory in the general election was partly discounted, key indices are likely to have a healthy gap-up openings on Monday.

Indo-Asian News Service