Srinagar: In the recently concluded elections for the phase-III, Doordarshan news reporter showed polling visuals from Beerwah and showcased same as that from Baramulla.
The apparent manipulation of stories about polling in Kashmir came to light when one Ashwani Mishra, who was part of the DD reporting teams that came to Kashmir from New Delhi, was seen reporting from Beerwah, but calling it Baramulla, in a bid to falsely showcase heavy polling from the Baramulla constituency.
It has been reliable learnt by GNS that the reporter was perhaps under pressure to show that there was a heavy polling in Baramulla constituency during the third phase of elections on Tuesday.
He had gone to polling booths but found very few voters during the morning in Baramulla constituency and as it was not supportive to his story, he moved to Beerwah Constituency. He picked up the visuals from Beerwah and manipulated it by calling it Baramulla.
It has also been learnt that he met police officer who provided him escort for Beerwah where he went to Polling booth inside a school where the voters were waiting in a long queue. Later he passed it as part of Baramulla constituency to mislead the audience.
The National News channel had been mired by numerous controversies in the recent past. One such controversy, though a mistake erupted when a Doordarshan news anchor was sacked after she referred to Chinese President Xi Jinping as ‘Eleven’ Jinping, apparently confusing Xi’s name with the Roman numerals XI, a senior official at the state television channel said.
While the incident could be termed as an error, the latest by no means can be weighed on same lines.
In fact, it may be called professional dishonesty to mislead the country men about the facts related to elections. Whether such manipulations can be accepted, particularly by the National TV channel awaits answer by the concerned including the Election Commission of India.
While the reporter could not be contacted despite repeated attempts, Umang Narola Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) said that the issue has not been brought to the notice of the commission so far.
He is not a government employee as such falls under the purview of the Press Counsel of India.
At the same time, anyone having compliant may forward file it at ceojk.nic.in and same shall be forwarded to the Election Commission of India for necessary action, the official told GNS when contacted. (GNS)
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