It has taken a response to an RTI query by activist Saket Gokhale to expose dangerous claims during election season. It was during a television interview in October 2020, ahead of election season in the state, that Union Home Minister Amit Shah had claimed “there are bomb-making factories in every district of West Bengal”.
In the interview to CNN News18 he also said that the law and order situation in WB had ‘gone for a toss’. It was after this that RTI activist Gokhale sought the source of the Home Minister’s comments. He asked four pertinent questions: A list of the bomb making factories in Bengal referred to by Amit Shah? Whether Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had briefed Shah about this? Whether Shah’s remarks were based on official records?
The Home Ministry’s answered that they didn’t have any such info:
Breaking:
In Oct, Home Minister @AmitShah gave an interview to CNN News18 where he claimed “there are bomb-making factories in every district of West Bengal”.
So, I filed a 4-point RTI seeking the source of Home Minister’s comments.
And this is where it gets shocking.
(1/5) pic.twitter.com/fxz0VEzh9u
— Saket Gokhale (@SaketGokhale) March 9, 2021
That has sent people talking, how did the MHA not have any information on the claims made by its own minister?
The Telegraph reported that while the MHA admitted that it did not have answers to the questions raised by Gokhale, it in turn asked him to get the “factual information” from WB police. Gokhale posted that March 3 response on social media: “The information asked by you vide point number 1 to 3 is not available with the offices of which the undersigned is the CPIO (central public information officer)…”
According to the reply attributed to the Union Home Ministry and bearing the sign of Praveen Kumar Rai, director (CT) &CPIO: “It is further informed that ‘police’ and ‘public order’ are State subjects as Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India and State Police is the first responder in case of any criminal/terrorist activity. Therefore, you may obtain the factual information from CPIOs of State Police….”
Meanwhile, Gokhale has stated that the MHA was silent on his query if a ‘list of the purported bomb factories in every district of Bengal’, as mentioned by the Union home minister, had been shared with the Bengal government or Bengal police. “They haven’t done that. Why? Because no such factories exist,” he tweeted, adding “It is SHOCKING that the Union Home Minister of India would openly perpetrate fake news about internal security matters just to malign & insult the state of West Bengal for electoral gains. How can the Home Minister be trusted when he lies openly on record about things?”
According to Gokhale the silence of the media is also responsible for letting such claims pass, “This blatant lying also happens because mainstream interviewers & reporters NEVER ask the ruling party to provide sources or facts to back their claims. They never challenge their falsehood. And this is why they manage to push such lies with impunity.”
Gokhale, who is known for his extensive use of RTI admitted that it was not easy obtaining a response from the MHA on the ministers claims, “MHA stalled giving a response since October. Even 1st appeal wasn’t responded to. An MHA official called me & said ‘we’ve been told not to reply on this’. Finally got the response after issuing a legal notice last week.”
Last year the MHA had admitted in a reply to Gokhale’s RTI query that it had “no information concerning tukde-tukde gang”, a slur used by right wing politicians, and media to address those who question the party in power.
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