Even as Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg vowed to ‘step up’ to fix the data privacy issues faced by the social networking giant following the revelation that British data consulting firm Cambridge Analytics created psychological profiles, which may have been used to influence electoral politics, conspiracy theories have started floating around, the best of which is that the entire Cambridge Analytica data breach allegations are created to ‘divert attention’.
Abusive troll masquerading as journalist Swati Chaturvedi, who is known for spreading lies and bigotry, was quick to blame a headline that pointing out the fact that Congress at one point reportedly hired Cambridge Analytics is a tactic to divert topic by the BJP.
Unbelievable diversion. What is the Modi govt trying to hide now via headline management? https://t.co/VGdaQ5pehD
— Swati Chaturvedi (@bainjal) March 22, 2018
She is an old hand at floating conspiracy theories that certain things are done by Modi only to divert the topic on hand. She even blamed ED raids on former union minister P. Chidambaram in a corruption case as ‘diversion tactic’ by the BJP.
Yawn more headline management from Modi govt! Just to divert from “democracy in danger” #SupremeMutiny https://t.co/Kft6nEp5rP
— Swati Chaturvedi (@bainjal) January 13, 2018
She’s not the only one who thinks so. Congress President Rahul Gandhi, too, thinks the news is a ‘diversion’. Except, in his case, he thinks the news is a diversion tactic from the 39 Indians killed in Mosul by ISIS.
Problem: 39 Indians dead; Govt on the mat, caught lying.
Solution: Invent story on Congress & Data Theft.
Result: Media networks bite bait; 39 Indians vanish from radar.
Problem solved.
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) March 22, 2018
Congress’ official Twitter handle, too, put up a poll which even goes a step further by giving 4 options to choose from.
Law & IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad leveled baseless allegations about some hypothetical involvement of the Congress Party with Cambridge Analytica. Which of the following issues is the BJP trying to divert the nation’s attention from? #IndiaSpeaks
— Congress (@INCIndia) March 22, 2018
This is not the first time the Congress has floated theories about topic diversion.
BJP is trying to divert attention from the Land Bill
— Congress (@INCIndia) March 11, 2015
Interestingly, Congress is not the only party to blame ‘topic diversion’ when they find themselves in a soup.
Way back in 2012, the foresighted leader Arvind Kejriwal had raised such doubts.
If Digvijay can’t convince his party bosses or the PM, then people wud think he is doing all this for cheap publicity and to divert attn
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) October 21, 2012
Kejriwal also tried to blame his inefficiency to on ‘evil forces’.
To all AAP volunteers n supporters. Evil forces will try to divert ur attention. But pl stay focussed on positive agenda for Delhi(1/2)
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) January 30, 2015
Many others have also followed suit.
Like how JNU protestor Shehla Rashid, who’d rather let an injured child bleed than clear up the traffic jam created by protestors, also thought bullet train was brought in to divert topic from journalist Gauri Lankesh’s murder.
Bullet train! To divert attention from the bullets they pumped into Gauri’s heart.
— Shehla Rashid (@Shehla_Rashid) September 14, 2017
She also thought Modi government brought in demonetisation to divert attention from a missing student from JNU.
Demonetisation failed.
110 poor people lost their lives for nothing, but a govt gimmick to divert attention from Najeeb & Bhopal Encounter.
— Shehla Rashid (@Shehla_Rashid) August 31, 2017
Makes one wonder what all diversion tactic they practised all these years they were in power and controlled the narrative.
