Wayanad aid memorandum Kerala CM slams media for 'destructive journalism'

Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 21 (PTI) Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday slammed a section of the media for allegedly spreading "fake news" about the memorandum prepared by the state government for central aid in the context of the Wayanad landslide disaster, terming it "destructive journalism."

"What is happening in Kerala is destructive journalism. A section of the media has turned into factories for creating controversies," Vijayan said at a press conference.

The Chief Minister said that Kerala has been discredited due to the fake news.

He alleged that after the media spread false information, a fake narrative emerged, claiming that Kerala was attempting to unfairly grab aid.

"The opposition also seized upon these reports. The aim behind these stories was to discredit the state government by any means," Vijayan added.

The CM clarified that it is not the ministers who prepare the memorandum in the wake of a disaster, but rather professionals who have proven expertise in the field.

He said that the media had misinterpreted the data prepared by these experts.

The figures in the memorandum are not exaggerated, but are projected estimates, he added.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)