The Congress has strongly condemned right-wing social media profiles and a section of online media for spreading alleged fake news reports about AICC general secretary K.C. Venugopal.
These reports falsely claimed that Venugopal attended an event organised by a bank employees’ union in his Lok Sabha constituency of Alappuzha on 27 July, where former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf was allegedly included in a tribute list.
In a statement on X on Sunday, the Congress in Kerala claimed a “larger conspiracy” behind the misinformation campaign.
The party clarified that Venugopal did not attend the event, and warned that those who disseminated false information about him would face legal action. “The Bank of India Staff Union had invited Shri K.C. Venugopal, among other prominent figures, to a program in Alappuzha. However, Shri Venugopal did not attend after learning about inappropriate additions to the agenda. This is the accurate account,” the Congress stated.
The party also mentioned it has reliable information indicating a broader conspiracy behind the false propaganda. “Those who spread false news about Shri Venugopal’s attendance will be held legally accountable,” the Congress warned.
The party emphasised its resolve to prevent malicious actors from tarnishing its leaders and polluting public discourse for narrow political gains. “We reaffirm our commitment to combating the spread of fake news perpetuated by the right-wing ecosystem.” the party declared.
In response to the controversy, the union reportedly attributed the issue to a printing error and promptly corrected it by removing Musharraf’s name from the programme.
On Saturday, the BJP held a protest march to the conference venue in Alappuzha, condemning the Bank of India employees’ union’s inclusion of Musharraf’s name as an act of “treason”.
