Thread by @SaketGokhale

Breaking:

In Oct, Home Minister @AmitShah gave an interview to CNN News18 where he claimed "there are bomb-making factories in every district of West Bengal".

So, I filed a 4-point RTI seeking the source of Home Minister's comments.

And this is where it gets shocking.

(1/5)

I'd asked for

(1) a list of the bomb making factories in Bengal referred to by Amit Shah

(2) Whether MHA had briefed Shah about this

(3) Whether Shah's remarks were based on official records

The Home Ministry's answer is NO. They claim they don't have any such info.

(2/5)

Further, the Home Ministry claims law & order is a state subject.

Ergo, that answers the 4th question I'd asked which is: "has info about these alleged bomb factories been shared with West Bengal Police."

They haven't done that. Why? Because no such factories exist.

(3/5)

It is SHOCKING that the Union Home Minister of India would openly perpetrate fake news about internal security matters just to malign & insult the state of West Bengal for electoral gains.

How can the Home Minister be trusted when he lies openly on record about things?

(4/5)

Getting this info wasn't easy. MHA stalled giving a response since October. Even 1st appeal wasn't responded to. An MHA official called me & said "we've been told not to reply on this".

Finally got the response after issuing a legal notice last week.

#NewIndia apparently

(5/5)

PS:

This blatant lying also happens because mainstream interviewers & reporters NEVER ask the ruling party to provide sources or facts to back their claims. They never challenge their falsehood.

And this is why they manage to push such lies with impunity.

Also a request:

I’d be grateful if someone could translate this thread in Bengali, tweet it, & share the link with me. I’ll RT it.

The people of Bengal should know how the outsider Home Minister Amit Shah has tried to insult the state for petty electoral gains.