Congress leader Ahmed Patel today questioned the government's attempt to check fake news, asking whether it was aimed at preventing journalists from reporting news uncomfortable to the establishment.
He also asked who will determine if a reported news item is "fake" and expressed apprehension that rules might be misused to harass reporters.
Union minister Smriti Irani, however, responded to him saying the Press Council of India (PCI) and the News Broadcasters Association (NBA), both of which are not controlled by the government, will ascertain whether a news is fake or not.
I appreciate the attempt to control fake news but few questions for my understanding: 1.What is guarantee that these rules will not be misused to harass honest reporters? 2. Who is going to decide what constitutes fake news ?