States » SouthPosted at: Jun 22 2025 1:30PM


Karnataka govt plans law on misinformation

Bengaluru, Jun 22 (UNI) Karnataka Minister for IT/BT and Rural Development Priyank Kharge on Saturday made a strong case for the state government’s plan to introduce a legislation aimed at curbing misinformation, declaring it a growing national security threat that demands urgent attention.
"India is the misinformation capital of the world," Kharge said, citing a World Economic Forum report that ranks the country as number one in misinformation. He argued that such falsehoods are not merely online nuisances but one of the root causes of law and order problems in the country today.
Driving home the seriousness of the issue, Kharge invoked the statement of the Chief of Army Staff, who recently revealed that 15 per cent of the Indian Army’s time is spent combating misinformation. “If even our armed forces are allocating this much time to tackle fake information, don’t you think it’s time we acted?” Kharge asked.
He pointed to a chorus of concerns raised by top constitutional and national figures. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself has said that misinformation is a threat to democracy. The former Chief Justice of India said the same. Even the Election Commission, during the Parliament elections, flagged the three M’s—money, muscle, and misinformation—as the biggest threats to democracy," he noted.
Kharge dismissed criticism of the state’s move to introduce legislation on the subject, saying, "We are just doing what the Prime Minister expects us to do." He emphasized that the bill is not about curtailing free speech, but rather protecting democratic institutions, public order, and national integrity from deliberate disinformation.
The legislation, currently being drafted, is expected to be tabled in the upcoming session of the Karnataka Assembly. It is likely to focus on defining, identifying, and penalizing malicious dissemination of false information across media platforms, while balancing it with protections for press freedom and genuine dissent.
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