On Sunday (December 5), the state president of BJP (Nagaland) dismissed media reports which claimed that 12 BJP leaders from the State were joining the Trinamool Congress (TMC). The misleading news was carried by The Hindu and the New Indian Express.
In a tweet, BJP leader Temjen Imna Along wrote, “Baseless reporting by (New) IndianExpress. No BJP leaders from Nagaland are camping in Kolkata to join TMC. Since when did it become okay to publish smear campaigns as news?” He further added, “Running ‘express’ news is great, but maybe should slow down a bit to report research-backed authentic news & not gossips.”
Earlier in the day, both the news publications carried the same misleading news. After being confronted with facts, The Hindu deleted the article titled, “12 BJP leaders in Kolkata, may join Trinamool.”
Citing BJP sources, The New Indian Express reported that 12 party leaders, unhappy with the BJP’s functioning, went to Kolkata to meet the TMC leadership. The sources also said the 12 of them were not sitting MLAs in the Nagaland Assembly.
The publication later tweaked their article after their initial report was dismissed by the BJP leadership. “It is done. Thanks,” posted Temjen Inma Along with a screenshot of the new headline of The New Indian Express. It must be mentioned that the BJP has 12 MLAs in an Assembly of 60 members.
It is notable here that the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party with 21 MLAs and the BJP with 12 MLAs are a part of the alliance that runs the government in Nagaland.
