The unverified Twitter claim led to angry shouting matches on news channels. (Photo Credit: File Photo)
New Delhi:
There’s an old saying that goes like – ‘a lie travels around the globe while the truth is putting on its shoes.’ This seems to be a case in point in the age of aggressive social media habits. People start sharing posts, images without verifying the authenticity of the claim. So, it comes as no surprise that a witty tweet actually sparked a major debate in the ongoing Faiz Ahmed Faiz controversy. The unverified Twitter claim led to angry shouting matches on news channels. It all started with a Twitter user posting a claim that the IIT-Kanpur, which is probing the ‘Hum Dekhenge’ poem by Faiz Ahmed Faiz – has issued notice to singer Kailash Kher for his much-loved song ‘Allah ke bande’!
In the polarised world of social media, people quickly started posting the claim without any verification. There were in fact claims about Lata Mangeshkar getting notice for ‘Allah tero naam’. So, what is the reality? Well, the fact is that it is one big hoax, total lie. People jumped the gun and started sharing the claim, which acquired a life of its own!
Looking at the level of incredulous debates on social media, the IIT-Kanpur had to step in to clarify on the matter. In a video message, IIT-Kanpur’s deputy director Manindra Agrawal said that the no such notice has been issued to Kailash Kher. “A news is doing rounds on social media that IIT-Kanpur has issued notice to Kailash Kher for a song. I think somebody posted it for fun but some people took it seriously. Let me clarify, no such notice has been issued,” Agrawal said.
IIT-Kanpur has also issued a clarification on Hum Dekhenge probe. “Fake news,” said IIT-Kanpur’s deputy director Manindra Agrawal on the Faiz probe. Agrawal has also said that “the six-member panel would investigate if there was any deliberate mischief.” The prestigious institute had set up a probe panel to investigate a December 17 campus protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act. The protesters had recited the poem as part of the stir against the citizenship law.
