SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly on Thursday witnessed heated exchanges and repeated interruptions as legislators across party lines voiced concern over the growing spread of online “fake news” and misinformation, with several members alleging that doctored videos, defamatory posts and anonymous social media handles were being used to malign political opponents.
Amid the uproar, Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather assured the House that the matter would be taken up for a dedicated half-hour discussion during the ongoing Budget session, saying the complaints were becoming frequent and required institutional attention. He also urged the government to activate enforcement mechanisms to counter organised smear campaigns.
The issue surfaced during Question Hour when BJP MLA RS Pathania raised a supplementary to his starred question, alleging that fake content circulated through online platforms had damaged the reputation of several legislators, including himself and fellow BJP MLA Pawan Gupta. Pathania claimed that a doctored video targeting him had been uploaded by a political party’s official handle and that repeated complaints to the police and the Information Department had yielded no action.
“The government has neither closed any channel nor imposed any penalty on these campaigns. Some of them are spreading poison,” he said, demanding immediate steps against those responsible.
Members from the ruling Jammu Kashmir National Conference echoed similar concerns. NC MLA Nazir Gurezi told the House that a video falsely alleging that three political leaders had taken money for appointments had circulated widely before being removed on court directions. He pressed for a structured debate, saying the reputations of public representatives were being routinely targeted.
Replying on behalf of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who holds charge of the Information Department, Education Minister Sakina Itoo said the matter concerned the entire House. “Every day someone’s dignity is being tarnished,” she said, adding that action should be taken against those spreading defamatory material while also calling for self-introspection among politicians.
Senior BJP MLA Sham Lal Sharma said that all 90 members of the House had faced abusive and unparliamentary language online. “We have come here to discuss public issues, not to respond to daily personal attacks,” he said, submitting documents to the Speaker and alleging that even former legislators were contributing to disruptions.
BJP members also objected to a former minister staging protests within the Assembly premises. Without naming him, several legislators referred to Harsh Dev Singh, questioning how he gained access during the session and demanding that the “Best Legislator Award” conferred on him be withdrawn. Chenani MLA Balwant Singh Mankotia, who defeated Singh in the 2024 elections, alleged that the former MLA had accused him of using hawala money and had behaved inappropriately with officials and politicians.
Responding, the Speaker said he would examine the complaints and take appropriate action, urging members to maintain decorum.
Meanwhile, the government informed the House that a dedicated media monitoring cell had been established in the Directorate of Information and Public Relations to track and counter fake and misleading information in real time. According to the reply, the cell issued 28 rebuttals between April 1, 2025 and January 31, 2026 — 20 through press releases and eight via official social media handles. The department said it continuously scans websites, news channels and digital platforms and promptly counters misleading content, though it clarified that regulation or suspension of websites and penalties against individuals fall outside its direct mandate.
As members from both the Treasury and Opposition benches continued to press for accountability and stronger action against anonymous accounts, the Speaker reiterated that the growing misuse of digital platforms was undermining public life and that a detailed discussion would be scheduled during the current session to evolve a collective response.
