The tweet by BJP IT Cell head Amit Malviya announcing the date of Karnataka Election has caused an uproar on the internet. His tweet was almost 15 minutes before the official announcement of Election Commission.
Amit Malviya later deleted his tweet (screenshot below):
Though Malviya got the election date right, the result date was wrong. The date of counting is 15 May, in contrast with 18 May written by Malviya. Later, on being enquired, he said he got the date from Times Now.
Times Now made the announcement at 11:07 am before Amit Malviya tweeted i.e., 11:08 am.
It was @TimesNow that announced the Karnataka poll dates before @malviyamit did. Amit’s tweet is at 11:08, Times Now broke it at 11:06/11:07. pic.twitter.com/vJwkKrZOao
â Pratik Sinha (@free_thinker) March 27, 2018
The media house also made a Tweet â at 11:14 am â which was also before the EC announced the election dates. How did Times Now get the information before it was officially announced?
Times Now later deleted the Tweet.
Not just Malviya but Srivatsa B, who is in charge of social media of the Congress in Karnataka, also tweeted the same at the same time as Malviya.
Srivatsa also claimed that he got the information by watching local and national media channels.
For those asking me about my tweet on the poll dates, wasn’t listening to the EC presser, saw local and national media flashing the dates and thought that it has been announced. Simple as that. https://t.co/6MSaseH65U
â Srivatsa (@srivatsayb) March 27, 2018
The leak of the information extended to Kannada channels TV9 Karnataka, BTV, TV5 Kannada and Suvarna News who also aired the dates around the same time.
Journalists covering the press conference of Election Commission in Delhi questioned Chief Election Commissioner OP Rawat on how information of election date, which is highly confidential, was announced before its official release. âWe will find out what happened and a full investigation will be launched. Let us not speculate on what they have,â responded Rawat.
He further said that the matter wonât be taken lightly and added, âCertain things may have leaked for which Election Commission will take appropriate action. It will be investigated. Be assured that actions legally and administratively befitting will be taken.â
It will be investigated. Be assured that actions legally and administratively befitting will be taken: Chief Election Commissioner OP Rawat on the question of how BJP’s IT Cell head Amit Malviya had put dates of Karnataka elections on social media
â ANI (@ANI) March 27, 2018
