Fake News on COVID 19: Narendra Modi rejected rumour of 'standing ovation' on Twitter

Devdiscourse, through an opinion published on April 3, 2020, was the first media platform to suggest the Prime Minister to handle fake news being made viral around his statements. We hope the PM will continue to use his Twitter handle to contain fake news being circulated around his initiatives on social media.

In a first, Prime Minister Narendra Modi used his Twitter account to handle infodemic around COVID 19 on social media on April 8. Devdiscoure.com on April 3, 2020, had specifically suggested the Prime Minister and his office to use his Twitter handle to falsify the fake being generated around his statements and initiatives to control COVID 19 pandemic.

"I came to know that some people have launched a campaign asking for 5 minutes standing ovation in my honour. Prima-facie it seems an attempt to drag Modi into controversies," said the Narendra Modi in a tweet on Wednesday. The poster being circulated on social media was urging the people for 5 minutes standing ovation at their balconies today, April 8 in honour to the services made by Narendra Modi.

मेरे ध्यान में लाया गया है कि कुछ लोग यह मुहिम चला रहे हैं कि 5 मिनट खड़े रहकर मोदी को सम्मानित किया जाए। पहली नजर में तो यह मोदी को विवादों में घसीटने की कोई खुराफात लगती है।

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 8, 2020

He further suggested his followers should own up the responsibility of at least one poor family until the crisis created by COVID 19 pandemic is over. "There will be no better honour for me than this," added Modi. It is pertinent to mention that social media was deluged with fake claims on 'hidden science' behind his previous initiatives of 'Janata Curfew' on March 22 and 9pm9minutes for lighting a lamp on April 5 (#9pm9minutes).

हो सकता है कि यह किसी की सदिच्छा हो, तो भी मेरा आग्रह है कि यदि सचमुच में आपके मन में इतना प्यार है और मोदी को सम्मानित ही करना है तो एक गरीब परिवार की जिम्मेदारी कम से कम तब तक उठाइए, जब तक कोरोना वायरस का संकट है। मेरे लिए इससे बड़ा सम्मान कोई हो ही नहीं सकता।

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 8, 2020

Deeply concerned with the huge amount of fake news being generated around the messages of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on COVID 19 pandemic such as Janata Curfew, ringing a bell and lighting the lamp; Devdiscourse had published a critical review of his communication on April 3.

"Prime Minister neither criticized the previous fake news nor disowned the claims made by his blind supporters. This is highly disturbing and dangerous. As he is addressing the nation through social media, he or his office should disapprove of these fake news items being made viral on twitter, Facebook and WhatsApp. But his silence is divisive and spreading negativity and darkness," reads the article titled 'Diya jalao' for COVID 19: Modi needs to practice his teachings and control fake news on social media. "The message of Janata Curfew had created huge fake news on the line - 'ringing bells and clapping will kill the COVID 19' and now 'lighting lamp will kill the virus as the temperature will increase' are being made viral on social media. Who is responsible for such fake news? Why no action against those people?" questioned the article.