EC warns media against fake news

Expressing his concern over circulation of fake news, Bengal Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Aariz Aftab, on Thursday, urged the media to be careful in their reportage.

“Lots of fake news is circulating every day. Even during the 2021 Assembly elections, certain misinformation was spread. You (media) are the 4th pillar of democracy. You are our stakeholders. We believe you have a responsibility and will urge you to present correct news after verifying with the Election Commission (EC),” Aftab said while addressing a media workshop.

Presently, inclusion of names in the electoral roll can be done four times in a year which is on the first of January, April, July and October. Modifications and deletions can be done till the last date of nomination, which is likely to be notified by the Commission in the second week of March.

A CEO office official informed that registered political parties can have about 40-star campaigners while the unregistered ones can have 20. The expenditure limit for a candidate is enhanced to Rs 95 lakh. It was Rs 70 lakh in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The workshop dealt with informing the media about Model Code of Conduct, various modes of registering grievances, and other aspects of the polls.