AltNews peddles misinformation towards PM Modi of their newest “fact-check”

On Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation to announce free Covid-19 vaccination for all above 18 years of age and in addition to declare that the nation would revert to a system of centralised procurement of vaccines towards Covid-19, the place the centre will procure vaccines from producers and supply it additional to states free of charge.
During his handle, PM Modi slammed the politicisation of the vaccination drive, particularly by the opposition-ruled states, who continuously altered their insurance policies on vaccination drive, thus creating added strain on the centre to liberalise the vaccine procurement. In his handle, PM Modi had talked about how some states had earlier pressured the centre to decentralise vaccine coverage and defined how the “decentralisation” course of as demanded by the opposition states had completely failed, thus prompting them to rethink the choice.
As PM Modi spoke concerning the fixed politicisation of vaccine derive within the nation, the opposition events, particularly the Congress celebration, appears to have taken an offence. It appears that the Congress celebration has unleashed their propaganda portals to mislead the general public by placing out misinformation on their earlier push for a decentralised system of vaccine procurement.
As PM Modi highlighted how opposition events’ fixed push and demand for decentralised vaccine procurement had harm the nation’s vaccination drive, the propaganda portals and social media proxies of these opposition events are actually making an attempt to painting that the opposition events had by no means demanded decentralisation of vaccine procurement within the first place.
The infamous propaganda web site Alt News, which frequently works as an extension of Congress IT cell, has give you a so-called fact-check of Prime Minister’s latest speech the place he had asserted that the states, particularly the one dominated by the opposition events, had pressurised them for a decentralised vaccine procurement coverage. In his speech, PM Modi had stated that a number of state governments had requested him to decentralise the vaccine work and go away it to the states.
As anticipated, Alt News, which has a historical past of peddling misinformation to avoid wasting the face of the opposition events, got here up with a awful fact-check of the Prime Minister, claiming that he was mendacity concerning the decentralised vaccination procurement system as no opposition leaders have demanded the identical, as a substitute claiming that that they had requested the federal government to centralise the vaccination course of.
In defence of the identical, Alt News introduced selective info to say that the state governments had by no means requested for a decentralised vaccination programme within the first place.
Alt News makes use of selective knowledge to say that Mamata Banerjee didn’t demand for decentralisation of vaccine procurement
To ‘fact-check’ PM Modi, Alt News amusingly cites a letter written by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. According to Alt News, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee had written a letter to PM Modi on February 24, requesting that the state be allowed to buy vaccines for inoculation forward of the meeting elections.
In the letter, it may be clearly seen that Mamata Banerjee is asking the centre to permit them to obtain the vaccines immediately forward of the meeting elections within the state.
West Bengal CM @MamataOfficial writes to PM @narendramodi for initiating a speedy vaccination course of in West Bengal earlier than elections are held. Letter says, the West Bengal Government needs to supply vaccine freed from price to all of the folks. pic.twitter.com/2lyIgbBw8s— Ayushman Kumar (@Iam_Ayushmann) February 24, 2021
However, in keeping with Alt News, Banerjee’s request was not mandated and therefore it can’t be thought-about as a requirement for decentralisation.
Further, Alt News, of their hurry to bury the reality, forgets to say the 2 different letters written by Mamata Banerjee to the Modi authorities demanding decentralisation procurement of the vaccines. Alt News conveniently ignores to supply particulars of one other letter written by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to PM Modi at one other occasion on 18 April, demanding to permit the state to obtain vaccines themselves.
“You may recall that I had written to you on 24 February to allow the state to purchase vaccination doses directly with state funds and launch a massive free vaccination campaign in the state covering the entire population,” she wrote in a letter on 18 April.
Mamata Banerjee’s letter to PM Modi on April 8 demanding decentralisation of vaccine procurement/ Image Source: Ankur Singh
In truth, Alt News themselves mentions how Mamata Banerjee had stated that the announcement of decentralisation was “much-delayed” and seems to be “hollow, without substance and a regrettable show of evasion of responsibility” in a letter, after the centre had determined to liberalise the vaccination drive to permit states to obtain the doses immediately from producers.
Strangely, the alleged fact-checkers have uncovered the opposition events of their so-called fact-check report by placing out all of the related information to indicate how opposition states had been demanding the decentralisation of vaccine procurement.
In addition to the above, on May 12, Mamata Banerjee had written to the Prime Minister urging him to expedite the procurement of vaccines and urged a franchise-based mannequin for vaccine producers. In the letter, Mamata Banerjee stated the centre ought to work on a “franchise-based” mannequin in states to ramp up the manufacturing of vaccines within the nation.
Mamata Banerjee had requested the Centre to push for the manufacturing of vaccines underneath the “franchise” route. Essentially, by means of the “franchise” route, the West Bengal authorities needed to decentralise vaccine procurement.
Despite, Mamata Banerjee overtly batting for the decentralise procurement of vaccines within the nation, not as soon as however thrice, Alt News tries to invent a lie that she had by no means demanded any such decentralisation.
Alt News lies on Maharashtra authorities:
Further, Alt News cited letters from the Maharashtra authorities to say that that they had by no means demanded decentralisation within the first place as urged by Prime Minister Modi.
According to Alt News, the Maharashtra authorities didn’t bat for decentralisation on their very own, however they solely started to demand the identical after the centre had introduced the method of decentralisation of vaccine procurement. Alt News cites a letter written by Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on May 8 to say that his request to decentralise the vaccine procurement got here solely after the centre had introduced the decentralised plan.
CM Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray wrote to the Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi relating to the availability of vaccination, technical glitches on the CoWin App & creating a state-level app for residents’ vaccination registration. pic.twitter.com/oMOX7kfdrA— CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) May 8, 2021
In the letter, Thackeray had written stating, “The State of Maharashtra is willing to procure the requisite stock of vaccines in a single procurement if possible, so as to safeguard our citizens and to give a boost to India’s vaccination program.”
According to Alt News, the demand solely got here after decentralisation was introduced. However, it’s not solely true.
Much earlier than the centre eased vaccination procurement owing to strain from states, the Maharashtra authorities had already determined to import vaccines from different nations and had allotted funds to different departments to obtain vaccines on to Maharashtra.
On April 20, 2021, a lot earlier than the centre had begun its plans for decentralisation of vaccine procurement, Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope stated that the state was planning to immediately bid for Sputnik V, Pfizer and Moderna if they’re obtainable.
“We have decided to cut the expenses of all the departments and divert the funds for vaccine procurement. We will not limit our plans only to the two vaccines that are manufactured in the country (Covishield and Covaxin),” he had stated.
Yet once more, Alt News conveniently ignores these particulars to say that states dominated by opposition events by no means insisted on decentralisation of vaccine procurement and as a substitute indulges in peddling misinformation within the identify of ‘fact-checking’.
Alt News involves the rescue of the Congress celebration
Alt News, which has a wealthy historical past of peddling misinformation on behalf of the Congress celebration, was fast to come back to the rescue of the grand previous celebration. In its alleged fact-check, Alt News claimed that it seemed on the calls for made by the states and discovered that not one of the states/ UTs demanded that they need to be allowed to buy vaccines.
According to Alt News, the states ruled by opposition events had criticised the centre’s choice inside days of the PM saying the decentralisation of procurement. However, Alt News fails to supply any supply because it makes such wild claims.
Further, Alt News claims that neither the Congress celebration nor the state governments led by the Congress celebration had demanded for the decentralisation of vaccine procurement.
Coming to the rescue of Former PM Manmohan Singh, who was one of many first to demand decentralisation of vaccine procurement, Alt News claimed that Singh had written to the federal government solely to point how vaccines can be distributed and didn’t speak concerning the decentralisation of procurement.
Key to our struggle towards Covid19 should be ramping up vaccination effort. We should resist temptation to take a look at absolute numbers being vaccinated, focus as a substitute on share of inhabitants vaccinated: Former PM Dr. Manmohan Singh writes to PM Modi on ramping up vaccination programme pic.twitter.com/ZD5SbQOE0u— Congress (@INCIndia) April 18, 2021
However, P Chidambaram, who lately acquired caught peddling lies on decentralisation of vaccine procurement identical to Alt News and was made to apologise, had hailed former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for his “decentralization strategy” demand.
In an interview with the NDTV in April, Chidambaram had admitted that it was Former PM Manmohan Singh who had suggested the federal government relating to the decentralisation course of for the primary time.
I advised to @ndtv 🤣😂🤣 pic.twitter.com/g9uZJQlurL— Nandini Idnani🇮🇳 (@idnani_nandini) June 8, 2021
Next, Alt News tries to mislead the general public on the letter written by Gandhi-scion Rahul Gandhi demanding a higher say for states within the procurement of vaccines.
In a letter to Prime Minister Modi dated eighth of April, 2021, Rahul Gandhi had demanded that state governments have a higher say in Covid-19 vaccine procurement.

Rahul Gandhi stated within the letter, “Centralization and individualized propaganda are counter-productive. Even though Public Health is a state subject, our states have been bypassed right from vaccine procurement to registration.” Consequently, he demanded, “Give State governments a greater say in vaccine procurement and distribution.”
However, for Alt News, which spends a substantial quantity of its time on whitewashing the misinformation peddled by the Congress celebration and its ecosystem, Rahul Gandhi solely demanded “greater say in procurement”, which didn’t imply state buy. Further, Alt News claims that Gandhi’s assertion is open to interpretation as he merely stated that state governments ought to have a “say” with out implying that they need to buy vaccines.
Image Source: Alt NewsFor Alt News, each Manmohan Singh and Rahul Gandhi don’t characterize any state and therefore their push for decentralisation of vaccines shouldn’t be thought-about as severe options.
Alt News additionally tries to bury Congress chief Anand Sharma’s open name for decentralisation of vaccines by saying he’s not a part of any authorities in any state. On April 16, Anand Sharma had stated that state governments should instantly be allowed to enter into contracts to obtain vaccines.
For Alt News, MK Stalin is just not an opposition chief:
Alt News additionally conveniently ignores MK Stalin’s letter to PM on April 18 demanding to raise restrictions on direct procurement. Even although he was not an elected Chief Minister when he wrote the letter to PM Modi, the chief of DMK who finally grew to become the CM a month later, had stated that it was equally essential to permit impartial procurement of medication, vaccines and medical gear by the state governments.
Perhaps, Alt News thinks DMK is just not a reputable opposition celebration and its fixed effort to pressurise the centre to decentralise vaccine procurement is just not a actuality for the alleged fact-checkers.
In its hurry to hawk misinformation towards the Modi authorities on its vaccine coverage, Alt News selectively places up information to say that the opposition party-ruled states had by no means demanded the centre to decentralise all the means of vaccine procurement. However, the above information introduced communicate for themselves and spotlight how Alt News has but once more a performed a horrible job in whitewashing the mismanagement by the state governments in dealing with the vaccine procurement within the nation.
Instead of questioning the state authorities on their fixed flip-flop, Alt News but once more comes up with a awful fact-check in charge PM Modi for talking untruth concerning the state authorities’s decentralised vaccine coverage. In truth, Alt News, identical to it did within the “Congress toolkit” controversy, has ended up exposing the fixed u-turns that state governments, particularly opposition-ruled states, took on the subject of deciding on the procurement and distribution of vaccines of their respective states.