Wayanad aid memorandum: Kerala CM slams media for “destructive journalism”

PTI, Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday slammed a section of the media for allegedly spreading “fake news” about the memorandum prepared by the state government for central aid in the context of the Wayanad landslide disaster, terming it “destructive journalism.” He warned that the government is increasingly compelled to take legal action against such “misleading campaigns.” “What is happening in Kerala is destructive journalism. A section of the media has turned into factories for creating controversies,” Vijayan said at a press conference.

The Chief Minister said that Kerala has been discredited due to the fake news.He alleged that after the media spread false information, a fake narrative emerged, claiming that Kerala was attempting to unfairly grab aid. “The opposition also seized upon these reports. The aim behind these stories was to discredit the state government by any means,” Vijayan added. The CM clarified that it is not the ministers who prepare the memorandum in the wake of a disaster, but rather professionals who have proven expertise in the field. He said that the media had misinterpreted the data prepared by these experts. The figures in the memorandum are not exaggerated, but are projected estimates, he added. “ E d u c a t e d media personnel labelling expected expenses as ‘expenditure’ and later ‘inflating amounts’ is not merely a problem of lack of education; it reflects their specific vested interests. The government is compelled to take legal action against such misleading campaigns,” the Chief Minister said. The CM alleged that the media misinterpreted the High Court’s judgment regarding the memorandum. “Interferences in Administrative Justice are occurring. Considering this, it’s time to contemplate taking legal actions,” Vijayan said.

In previous statements, Vijayan had said that the government had submitted a memorandum detailing estimated and additional expenses to the Kerala High Court. “Currently, there are attempts to use that document to unjustly target the state government, which undermines the state’s interests,” he had asserted. Vijayan had also called on the media to rectify the “false report.”OnSaturday.