Facts, fake news, fiction, fantasy

The Karnataka poll campaign has been filled with no-holds barred charges and counter charges between BJP and the Congress, mainly between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party president Amit Shah on one side and Congress President Rahul Gandhi and chief minister Siddaramiah on the other. Never could a poll have seemed more must-win for the two leading parties in the fray. The poll, which has also become a personal battlefield of the four leaders, has been marked by some facts, many false ones, some fiction too and fantasy in the two manifestos   promising the earth to the people of Karnataka.

Nothing has been sacrosanct in the pitched battle, not even the memory of great generals of the past who had sparkled with their leadership of the Indian Army of the early days like Gen. K.S. Thimmaya and Field Marshal K. M. Cariappa. Most mistakes made on the Generals and their being ill treated by the Congress governments of yore were by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi while the Congress party was also guilty of not fact-checking properly before putting in its riposte.  It did appear in this instance at least that Modi followed Donald trump in presenting arguments whose facts do not add up. While Trump got mauled by fact-checking media, Modi may have escaped due criticism thanks to his opponents. While it is thought “fake news” helped in some ways to determine the outcome of the 2016 US presidential election, there seems a lot of fake news around in the Karnataka elections. Only we don't know yet who is winning.

 Srinath Raghavan @srinath raghava3
Far from insulting Thimayya in 1948 or after, Nehru appointed him as Chief of Army Staff superseding officers senior to him at the time. The PM can ask the Raksha Mantri to show him the relevant files

T T Krishnan @ttkrishnan
Spreading misinformation in an election campaign has been the hallmark of Mr Modi as he knows crowd won't go home & verify facts. Merely by being PM his utterances get credibility @INCIndia @siddaramaiah @RahulGandhi @rssurjewala @JhaSanjay @ManishTewari

Akhill Pratap@ MajorAkhill
Field Marshal Cariappa and General Thimayya were Soldiers and Indians - not Politicians or Kannadigas, respectively. Its in poor taste that they are even mentioned in the race to one bloody chair

Jyothi@ MrsNair47
@narendramodi thinks that he will score brownie points with kannadigas if they project Gen. Thimayya and Field Marshal Cariappa (both frm Madikeri) as being wronged. They were exemplary army officers and they would give an earful and more to Modi for digging up ruckus like this!!

Yogendra Yadav@_YogendraYadav
No sir, Krishna Menon was Defence Minister from April 1957 to October 1962. General Thimmayya was Army Chief from May 1957 to May 1961 Sir can't the PMO afford a fact-checker? It's so embarrassing!

Rajesh Ray @raykrajesh
Y Mr. @narendramodi_in always lives in past. Generally dementia patient lives in past. Y he does not talk abt jobs creation, reasons 4 demonitization, achivemnts abt his recent China visit, abt qualities of @BJP4India CM's face. complusion of giving 7 tkts to tainted bellary clan

Karavadi Raghava Rao @karavadiraghava
The Defence Minister of those Times VK Krishna Menon insulted Gen KS Timmayya Both were always on Fighting Mood...The Army was demoralised Timmaiah retired 11 Months Before India china War iin 1962 After retirement UNO used Timmaiah's Services..

Krishan Partap Singh @RaisinaSeries
Yes,Nehru insulted Gen Thimayya by first sending him to Korea after the armistice to command the UN peacekeeping force.And then further the insult by making him Army Chief!And then not allowing to him to resign!As for Cariappa,Nehru sent him as High Commissioner after retirement.

 Nandlal Chaturvedi @iamnandlal
The trick to win elections by Modi is to tell lies about Congress and it’s leaders. Remember Gujarat elections. He managed to raise eye brows on former PM Manmohan Singh meeting Pakistan high commissioner and discussing elections with him

Dr J Aslam Basha@JAslamBasha
Narendra Modi ji, We know that History & being factually correct is not your fortè but would be better if you could stop making fool of yourself in rallies, after all you are our PM. - Country's Defence Minister in 1948 was Baldev Singh not Krishna Menon. #StopMisleading

 Nirupama Menon Rao@NMenonRao
Dear PM : how can you distort history ? For the sake of the children of this glorious land, please rise above this

JayEnAar@GorwayGlobal
India's Prime Minister has discovered for himself what #SiliconValley #Startups learn in expensive seminars - First Mover Advantage. Only his version involves uttering a lie in a speech to suit his agenda. By the time the corrections come in he has enjoyed his Advantage