NDTV claims Congress partys One Family One ticket rule exempts Gandhis, Congress hits back saying fake news: Here is what we know so far – OpIndia

On May 13, Friday, controversial news outlet NDTV posted a Tweet saying that in an attempt to relaunch itself ahead of the crucial 2024 general elections, the Congress party has agreed on its much-touted one family, one ticket norm but with a clause that exempts the Gandhis.

NDTV, in its news report published on May 13 titled, Congress Clears Key Reform With Loophole For Gandhis: 10 Points, mentions that at the three-day Chintan Shivir or introspection in Rajasthans Udaipur beginning Friday, the Congress agreed that a One Family, One Ticket rule will return with a rider that exempts the Gandhis.

On the One Family, One Ticket rule, which bars more than one person from a family from contesting elections, the Congress has hinted in advance that this may spare the Gandhis Sonia Gandhi and her childrenRahul Gandhiand Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, says the NDTV report.

It further quotes the Congress leader Ajay Maken as saying when asked whether the Gandhis are exempted, There is unanimity on this rule. If family members still want to contest them they should have been active for five years. They are active for the last five years. Priyanka Gandhi started working formally for the party in 2018.

The media outlet thereby concluded that the rules rider, which allows all three Gandhis to contest, indicates a loophole, reinforcing critics claims that the party will make just cosmetic changes at a time when a major revamp is needed.

Following NDTVs Tweet, Congress and the party loyalists launched a scathing attack on the media outlet accusing it of spreading fake news. Youth Congress national president Srinivas BV, who himself has been caught umpteen number of times peddling fake news and unverified claims to target the Modi government, called it fake news, clarifying that the rule is applicable for everyone in the party, not just the Gandhi family. He wrote, Fake News Alert . Second member of a family can be considered for a party ticket only if he or she has already put in at least five years of work in the partys organisational work. The rule is applicable to everyone in the Party.

Twitter handle @bole_bharat, which identifies itself as a Fan of Congress, slammed NDTV by referring to it as a propaganda factory. It Tweeted, NDTV The Propaganda factory. Congress leader @ajaymaken didnt mention anything about Gandhi family while take about One Family One ticket rule. The rule is applicable for all.

Many other Congress loyalists also followed suit. They took to the microblogging site Twitter to call out the media outlet for propagating fake news.

The Congress members clarified that Congress leader Ajay Maken, in his address to the media, at no point in time named the Gandhi family and that the rule is applicable to everyone in the Party.

The Congress party has shared the video of the special Congress briefing on the discussions the party had during the three-day Chintan Shivir in Udaipur, and it appears that NDTV did misquote the party on the issue.

At around 11.30 minutes into the video, AICC general secretary Ajay Maken is heard saying that while the Shivir is keen to have the One Family One ticket norm in place, an aspiring second member of a family can be considered for a party ticket only if he or she has already put in at least five years work in the partys organisational work.

Although this rule technically qualifies all three Gandhi scions to run for office, it is also true that Ajay Maken did not mention the Gandhi scions during the briefing. Moreover, this rule will be applicable for all members of the party. It is evident that the information provided by NDTV is clearly based on assumptions.

As the Congress begins its three-day brainstorming session Nav Sankalp Shivir in Udaipur on Friday, the party announced that major changes are coming to the organisation, including 50% representation for persons under 50 at all levels, starting with the Congress Working Committee (CWC).

Prior to the meeting, Maken said the aim of the Shivir is to change the way Congress functions as an organisation. We are going to make some big changes in the organisation, he said, adding that the partys opponents have been faster than the Congress in catching up with the new tools of democracy. Now the party will use the new tools of democracy more efficiently.

Follow this link:

NDTV claims Congress partys One Family One ticket rule exempts Gandhis, Congress hits back saying fake news: Here is what we know so far - OpIndia