By Shinjinee Majumder

MDMK general secretary Vaiyapuri Gopalsamy alias Vaiko on April 3 spoke to the media about the ongoing controversy surrounding the Katchatheevu island in Sri Lanka. Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) is an ally of the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in Tamil Nadu, which is a part of the Congress-led INDIA bloc.

Katchatheevu is an uninhabited island located northeast of India’s Rameswaram town in Tamil Nadu and southwest of Sri Lanka’s Jaffna city. This island was ceded by India in 1974 to Sri Lanka, and the former subsequently relinquished its claim to fishing rights in the water surrounding Katchatheevu. The issue resurfaced after the BJP revealed details about government discussions concerning this issue. Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the then government of ‘callously’ ceding the islands to Sri Lanka. The opposition leaders have charged the BJP with exploiting this sensitive issue to garner votes in the upcoming elections.

In this regard, ANI tweeted a 10-second clip on April 3 of Vaiko’s interaction with the media where he is heard saying, “Congress betrayed Tamil Nadu on every front at the time…”. (Archive)

https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1775522655153906052?t=WkxCqvlI5L43nHmCr2bxZQ&s=19

The ANI tweet was quote-tweeted by Union minister Piyush Goyal, who urged the people of Tamil Nadu to listen to the video. (Archive)

https://twitter.com/PiyushGoyal/status/1775566376926880229?t=-wGNE9Cb3__-CBfUiCGG-Q&s=19

Several mainstream media outlets ran this news with the purported quote from Vaiko as the headline. Hindustan Times published a report titled, “‘Cong betrayed Tamil Nadu on every front’, says Vaiko”. Nowhere in the article do they mention what Vaiko said beyond the 10 seconds seen in the ANI video. CNN News 18 also published a similar report titled, “Congress Has Always Betrayed Tamil Nadu, Says DMK-Cong Ally Vaiko On Katchatheevu Issue”. The report only mentions the 10 seconds seen in the viral video tweeted by ANI. News Nine also tweeted a similar report titled “‘Betrayed Tamil Nadu on every front’: DMK- Congress ally slams Congress on Katchatheevu issue” calling it ‘a scathing attack on the Congress’.

Read Full Story https://www.altnews.in/ani-clips-vaikos-statement-to-cut-out-modi-a-traitor-remark-media-houses-run-misleading-reports-based-on-that/