Some leading newspapers, including The Hindu and Times of India on Friday carried a fake news item without verifying facts and lapped up the fake narrative created by the Left Front government whose plan to take another young woman to Sabarimala with the help of cops in civil dress was foiled by an alert cameraman and journalist of the Janam TV. These news outlets published the story that the Sri Lankan woman, Sasikala, had climbed the ‘Holy 18 Steps’ and had darshan.
Even before verifying facts CPI(M) channel Kairali and The Hindu (as good as CPM pamphlet) published the report which was dismissed by the woman. Asianet and some other channels played out the victim’s version. https://www.asianetnews.com/news/back-without-performing-darshan-at-sabarimala-sasikala-pks6xl
Indus Scrolls had uploaded a video which showed two policemen in civil dress with covered faces running for cover when they were spotted by the Janam crew. (For video click: https://indusscrolls.com/another-attempt-to-violate-sabarimala-tradition/ )
What is more shocking that they threw away the ‘irumudikettu’ which they were carrying while running for cover. Irumudi is important paraphernalia of a Sabarimala devotee.
Later, the government came out with clarification that the woman had indeed visited the shrine. They came out with a photograph to prove the claim but a channel exposed the lie of the government. This is not the first time that the government making such false claims and journalists lapping them up without even asking a question. On Thursday, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that a devotee who was stoned to death by Marxist goons at Pandalam in Pathanamthitta district died of cardiac arrest. But no journalist worth his salt had the courage to ask him how he can make a claim when the post-mortem report has not yet come. Vijayan had to eat a crow after the report belied his claims.
Although the higher-ups in the government know that the women’s bid to Sannidhanam was aborted with cops leaving her midway, they deliberately peddle this lie to hoodwink the Thantri, provoking him to close down the temple. Reports suggest that the Thantri had dismissed the government’s claim.
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