The news space over recent years has been seeing a huge influx of ambiguous and confusing news content. Some reports though highly delusional, succeed in impacting the minds of those exposed to it. Entities earmarked by these reports have also taken a proactive stance in countering claims made by many through legal and other methods. However, increased reach of information due to digitization has prevented effective control and check over these agenda driven attempts..
In a similar incident, an article published in the Business Standard by Ajai Shukla titled “IAF probe findings on India downing own chopper put on hold” claimed that the IAF has been told to ‘hold’ the findings on a court of enquiry (CoI) regarding the IAF Mi-17V5 crash in February, this year. He also made claims on findings of the CoI while the proceedings are still underway.
Indian Air Force, taking note of the article, has categorically denied any ‘hold’ on the court of inquiry and has called the article to be Ajai Shukla’s ‘imagination’. Indian Air Force’s statement read:
“Today in an article written by Ajai Shukla he has incorrectly speculated that the IAF Court of Inquiry constituted to investigate the Mi-17 V5 crash at Srinagar on 27 Feb has been put on hold. This is his imagination and IAF categorically denies this.”
Today in an article written by Ajai Shukla he has incorrectly speculated that the IAF Court of Inquiry constituted to investigate the Mi-17 V5 crash at Srinagar on 27 Feb has been put on hold. This is his imagination and IAF categorically denies this.1/2
— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) April 27, 2019
“CoI of aircraft accidents are meticulous & time-consuming. All past inquiries of aircraft accidents bear testimony to this. Proceedings of a CoI are not commented upon by IAF till completion of the inquiry in all cases. There is no connection between elections & completion of CoI.” IAF further added.
CoI of aircraft accidents are meticulous & time consuming. All past inquiries of aircraft accidents bear testimony to this. Proceedings of a CoI are not commented upon by IAF till completion of the inquiry in all cases.There is no connection between elections & completion of CoI.
— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) April 27, 2019
Ajai Shukla has been called out multiple times for denigration of the current Government and Security forces. In a recent reference to BJP Candidate from Bhopal, Sadhvi Pragya he had tweeted: “After Yogi Adityanath, @narendramodi gifts India another certified nut job, who believes rubbing a cow’s butt cures high blood pressure and eating a mix of cow dung and urine cures cancer! This is the path @BJP4India is taking India down. Find a way to justify this to yourself…”
After Yogi Adityanath, @narendramodi gifts India another certified nut job, who believes rubbing a cow’s butt cures high blood pressure and eating a mix of cow dung and urine cures cancer! This is the path @BJP4India is taking India down. Find a way to justify this to yourself… https://t.co/ydQmlktlfh
— Ajai Shukla (@ajaishukla) April 23, 2019
Tweets of this nature only indicate the’ neutrality’ of the said journalist.
However serious questions hover over Ajai Shukla’s claims made on the ‘findings’ of the Court of Inquiry and the intent behind the article. This general election has been similar information making stark claims on different organizations, though unverified, being pumped in the Indian media space through various mediums. Some serial offenders, despite being called out for their agenda driven misinformation multiple times, have not mended their ways.
The business Standard has also been called out multiple times for misleading reporting, ultimately leading the publishing house to withdraw the content.
With a barrage of unverified videos, fake news and agenda-driven reporting the common man is the end victim who bears the real cost of these meek attempts. Usage of such sensitive issue to drive agenda is highly disrespecting to the brave soldiers who had lost their lives on the horrific incident that took place in February this year, 6 IAF personals had lost their lives in the IAF Mi-17V5 crash.
