At the eighth of September 2023, a contemporary controversy surrounded the Congress govt in Karnataka. BJP leaders Tejasvi Surya and Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar took to Twitter to submit a screenshot of a newspaper advert which spoke a couple of scheme by means of the Karnataka govt which was once intended particularly for the minority communities. It seems that that the commercial was once no longer positioned by means of the govt. however a personal organisation referred to as AR-Raheem Believe.
The commercial for the scheme
As in step with an commercial hooked up by means of the minister in his tweet, a subsidy of fifty% of the automobile’s worth with a most of fifty% is being presented to spiritual minorities to buy Auto Rikshwas, Taxis and Items cars. The Swavalambi Sarathi Scheme was once introduced by means of Karnataka Housing and Minorities Welfare Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan final month.
Taking to X, Minister Chandrashekhar mentioned that the scheme is supposed completely for the non-Hindus protecting even the financially disadvantaged Hindu communities out of it. The union minister mentioned that this is a brazen discrimination and violation of Article 14 of the Charter from a celebration that is going in a foreign country and talks of Bharat’s charter being below danger. He referred to as it “State backed Conversion inducement”.
He referred to as the scheme an ‘instance of shameless, lazy, appeasement politics of bribing positive communities by means of Rahul Gandhi’s Congress in Karnataka.’
Rajeev Chandrashekhar mentioned, “Shameless bribing of a neighborhood by means of the use of public assets intended for All Kannadigas. Brazen discrimination & violation of Artwork 14 of the charter from a celebration that is going in a foreign country and talks of Bharat’s charter being below danger. State-sponsored Conversion inducement. That is the appeasement and corrupt politics of Dynasts of UPA/I.N.D.I alliance.”
At the eighth of September itself, the standard suspect, Mohammad Zubair, the co-founder of AltNews and dog-whistler-in-chief, tried to “fact-check” Rajeev Chandrasekhar and Tejasvi Surya. It’s pertinent to notice right here that AltNews and Mohammad Zubair are formally partnering with the Karnataka govt to ‘fact-check’ information. This intimation was once given by means of Priyank Kharge – Minister within the Karnataka govt.
Union Minister @Rajeev_GoI and BJP MP @Tejasvi_Surya are deceptive their fans by means of communalising the welfare schemes. That is ‘Swawalambi Sarathi Scheme’. A an identical scheme was once to be had below Karnataka BJP executive too. However each the BJP MPs do not want you to grasp!
Percent : 2 & 3… %.twitter.com/pBYCbqZ1Hw
— Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear) September 8, 2023
Mohammad Zubair made the next claims in an try to fact-check Rajeev Chandrasekhar and Tejasvi Surya:
He claimed that the 2 leaders had been communalising the scheme and that the scheme was once to be had for SC/ST as neatly.
SC/ST can get 75% or a max subsidy quantity upto 4 lakhs.
Minorities are eligible for fifty% or a max subsidy quantity upto 3 lakhs.
That below the BJP there was once a an identical scheme and due to this fact, Chandrasekhar and Surya had been spreading incorrect information.
AltNews’ Zubair has a penchant for spreading selective information and incorrect information to force his time table house. Curiously, that is precisely what he did on this case too.
In certainly one of his tweets, Zubair mentioned: “• Unemployed adolescence from SC/ST, Minority (Muslims, Christians, Jains, Parsi, Buddhists) are certified for this scheme. • SC/ST can get 75% or a max subsidy quantity upto 4 lakhs. • Minorities are eligible for fifty% or a max subsidy quantity upto 3 lakhs”.
To make his level, Zubair attacked two screenshots detailing the eligibility standards for this scheme. Zubair depended on those screenshots as though they had been authentic intimations from the federal government, alternatively, because it seems, the web page is a privately run and owned web page which has not anything to do with the federal government in any respect.
The About Us web page of ‘districtsinfo’, the web page from which Zubair took the screenshots, claims that it gathers data from ‘different assets’ together with Wikipedia.
Districtsinfo web page
This text that Zubair is the use of for his fact-check was once printed at the nineteenth of August 2023 – neatly after the Congress executive got here to energy in Karnataka. On that date, this web page’s Twitter maintain was once posting Amazon commercials for air fryers and induction cooktops. They ceaselessly and virtually completely submit Amazon commercials for quite a lot of merchandise – together with ladies’s put on and footwear.
DistrictsInfo web page’s Twitter maintain
It’s somewhat obvious that by means of no measure if the web page dependable, not at all for “fact-checking”. The tips, alternatively, isn’t utterly mistaken.
Consistent with the Congress govt funds, this certainly was once the scheme which was once introduced by means of the federal government. Alternatively, there was once important data that no longer simplest the random web page however Zubair not noted, deliberately or no longer, is left to the discretion of the reader.
Here’s what Mohammad Zubair not noted
When one searches for info at the ‘Swawalambi Sarathi Scheme’, one reaches the authentic web page of KMD – the Karnataka Minority Division.
At the web page itself, there’s explicit details about the scheme which is to learn minority communities.
Govt web page
Karnataka executive web page
The web page obviously says that the applicant will have to belong to a non secular minority neighborhood to use for this scheme. This scheme is now are living from the Minority Division as evidenced by means of the “follow on-line” energetic button.
Now, one can argue that since that is the Minority Division web page, it might mirror data just for minorities. We checked the web page of the social welfare division to look if the scheme were made energetic for the SC/ST class as was once introduced by means of the Karnataka govt in its funds.
On that web page, no scheme referred to as ‘Swawalambi Sarathi Scheme’ has been mirrored and there’s no position to use on-line for it both.
When OpIndia spoke to the social welfare division, we had been categorically instructed that the scheme may well be availed simplest by means of the minority neighborhood and no longer by means of the SC/ST neighborhood.
FIR towards Sudhir Chaudhary for asking ‘what about Hindus’ in Karnataka scheme: What took place, Zubair’s deceptive claims, Priyank Kharge’s danger and extra
My reporthttps://t.co/mXgZBlJQqW
— Nupur J Sharma (@UnSubtleDesi) September 13, 2023
Whilst it’s true that the Karnataka govt had introduced this scheme in its funds for minorities and the SC/ST neighborhood, it might seem from the given data that the scheme has been introduced up to now just for minorities however has no longer but been notified for the SC/ST neighborhood in any respect. It’s obvious that the SC/ST neighborhood can simplest avail advantages of the scheme after the scheme has been notified to them and up to now, that doesn’t appear to have took place.
Aaj Tak’s Sudhir Chaudhury did a display at the twelfth of September the place he showed that the pinnacle of Ambedkar Construction Company, P Nagesh, additionally mentioned that this scheme isn’t acceptable to the SC/ST neighborhood but and dialogue to make it to be had to them is ongoing. He additionally showed that the notification to increase the scheme to SC/ST has no longer been issued by means of the federal government but.
Due to this fact, whilst Mohammad Zubair depended on a random web page busy promoting Amazon merchandise, there’s plentiful evidence that whilst the Congress govt in Karnataka introduced that this scheme could be acceptable for minorities and the SC/ST neighborhood, the federal government has began imposing the scheme for minorities however no longer the SC/ST neighborhood but.
In some other tweet, Mohammad Zubair made some other deceptive declare. Zubair tweeted, “There was once a an identical scheme below BJP executive. Listed below are a couple of outdated tweets by means of the Division of Minority @DOMGOK, “Every beneficiary will obtain a 33% subsidy on automobile worth, as much as a max of Rs. 2.5L below this scheme for buying auto rickshaw/taxi/items automobile””.
Tweets by means of Division of Minority Welfare of Karnataka
Zubair once more well printed selective data to make certain that the overall image was once no longer obvious.
It’s certainly correct {that a} an identical scheme was once energetic below the BJP govt as neatly. There’s a 2021-2022 add by means of the Minorities Division of Karnataka detailing how a lot subsidy was once given for the acquisition of cars as much as thirty first March 2022. Consistent with the standing file, there have been 1,333 cars subsidised by means of the Minority Division.
Government standing file
Alternatively, the screenshots submit by means of Zubair had been deceptive for the reason that BJP govt had put this scheme on grasp in 2022.
Here’s what took place:
One of the crucial screenshots that Zubair submit was once a answer by means of the Division of Minority Affairs of Karnataka. The answer was once dated seventeenth October 2022. Within the answer, the dep. says, “Every beneficiary will obtain a 33% subsidy on automobile worth, as much as a most of Rs. 2,50,000/-, below this scheme when buying an auto rickshaw/taxi/items automobile. If the automobile remains to be being paid for with a financial institution mortgage, the financial institution letter should be submitted. (1/1)”.
2022 reaction by means of DOMGOK utilized by Mohammad Zubair
If one notices, the reaction by means of DOMGOK is numbered 1/1. If one was once an actual fact-checker, one would examine why the tweet was once numbered and if there’s a 2nd, apply up tweet that makes the image clearer.
Zubair posted ONLY this screenshot and no longer the second one tweet in the similar reaction.
The entire reaction by means of DOMGOK which Zubair refused to tweet
In the second one tweet of the similar reaction, that Mohammad Zubair turns out to have intentionally not noted, the Division of Minority Welfare obviously says that the scheme is “CURRENTLY INACTIVE”.
The tweets are nonetheless there on their Twitter maintain.
And Direct Loans for Companies/Enterprises. Talk over with https://t.co/p8TE5utXnM for more info. Tackling minorities’ slums falls below 11 Municipal Firms, which can be simplest ready to offer elementary facilities. (2/2)
Regards.#KarnatakaMWD
— Division of Minority Welfare, Government of Karnataka (@DOMGOK) December 11, 2022
Zubair submit some other screenshot from December 2022.
Every other tweet utilized by Zubair
For the reason that within the October reaction, the Division had already mentioned that the scheme was once inactive, within the December reaction, the dep. says that the KMDC “WILL IMPLEMENT” this scheme – this simplest is going to turn that the scheme was once inactive this a ways until that time.
It’s due to this fact obvious that Zubair first selectively used one tweet reaction by means of the KMDC intentionally leaving out the opposite (which mentioned that the scheme was once inactive) and used some other screenshot to misinform his readers.
It is usually obvious that after the Congress govt got here to energy in Karnataka in Would possibly 2023, the scheme was once nonetheless inactive and due to this fact, it was once certainly the Congress executive in Karnataka which repackaged this scheme and offered it once more of their funds. Within the funds, whilst they introduced the scheme for minorities and SC/ST, it’s, as of writing this text, simplest being applied for minorities and NOT for the SC/ST neighborhood.
Now, it’s completely conceivable that there are different an identical schemes which can be prolonged to SC/ST and OBCs as neatly, alternatively, the topic is in regards to the Swawalambi Sarathi Scheme. This actual scheme turns out not to be acceptable to SC/STs as claimed – no less than up to now.
The FIR on Aaj Tak’s Sudhir Chaudhury, Priyank Kharge, faux information, lies and Mohammad Zubair
Whilst Zubair began spreading deceptive data, Priyank Kharge, who likes to name Zubair ‘Leader’, proceeded to get an FIR filed towards Aaj Tak anchor Sudhir Choudhury for simply reporting what was once manifestly obvious.
Sudhir Chaudhury had finished a display during which he spoke about this scheme and the way it was once being applied for minorities and no longer Hindus. As quickly because the video was once out, Priyank Kharge, who has not too long ago additionally made anti-Hindu statements, tweeted that Sudhir was once spreading incorrect information and he would take felony motion towards the anchor.
The anchor of @aajtak is intentionally spreading incorrect information on Govt schemes which was once first began by means of BJP MPs & is being amplified by means of sections of media.
That is planned & malicious, Government will likely be taking important felony motion %.twitter.com/nD5FuAf3nu
— Priyank Kharge / ಪ್ರಿಯಾಂಕ್ ಖರ್ಗೆ (@PriyankKharge) September 12, 2023
At 11:36 PM, Mohammad Zubair, Priyank Kharge’s “CHIEF’, was once the primary to tweet that an FIR were filed towards Sudhir Chaudhury.
FIR registered in Sheshadripuram Police station, Bengaluru towards Information Presenter Sudhir Choudhary and Aaj Tak.
— Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear) September 12, 2023
In his defence, Sudhir Chaudhury did some other display the place he showed the next:
Within the funds, Congress had certainly introduced that the scheme could be to be had for minorities and the SC/ST communities
The advert within the newspaper and the Congress executive’s personal Karnataka web page proves that the eligibility requirement for the scheme is that one will have to belong to the minority neighborhood.
The applicability of the scheme for the SC/ST neighborhood has no longer been notified but.
This was once showed to Aaj Tak by means of the Managing Director of the Ambedkar Construction Company.
Due to this fact, as of now, the scheme is certainly acceptable ONLY for minority neighborhood.
It’s pertinent to notice that NONE of those information were tweeted by means of Mohammad Zubair but.
If truth be told, when those information had been being articulated by means of Sudhir Chaudhury, that is what Zubair was once tweeting:
YouTube are living video of Sudhir Choudhary is not to be had on Aaj Tak Channel now. Explanation why? ? https://t.co/mFydT0CMen %.twitter.com/y6I5OWLeBl
— Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear) September 12, 2023
The self-proclaimed fact-checker who Priyank Kharge calls “CHIEF” and has collaborated with in an authentic capability to “fact-check” data, obviously has paltry regard for information and the reality. On this case, it’s completely conceivable that the Karnataka govt would make just right on its announcement and notify the scheme for SC/ST as neatly, alternatively, at this level, this is a indisputable fact that the scheme is simplest acceptable to the minority neighborhood. In that admire, there was once no incorrect information unfold by means of Sudhir Chaudhury or different media homes, but, the Karnataka govt has proceeded to record an FIR towards the anchor as a substitute of conceding to information.
If certainly the scheme was once acceptable to SC/STs and no longer simplest the Ambedkar Construction Company (which Aaj Tak spoke to) but additionally the Social Welfare Division (which OpIndia spoke to) had been mendacity, then Kharge, as a substitute of submitting an FIR, will have to have made public the notification which makes the scheme acceptable for SC/STs as neatly. Failure to do this, the information to hand, the lies and incorrect information unfold by means of Zubair and the next FIR on Sudhir Chaudhury simplest proves that the Congress govt in Karnataka is allying with a serial faux information spreader to persecute reporters who refuse to toe their line and ask pertinent inquiries to the Congress govt.