Karnataka’s ‘misinformation’ bill was plagiarised | Powertrip #110

Welcome to this week’s Powertrip, a political newsletter exclusively curated for TNM and NL subscribers by Dhanya Rajendran, Shabbir Ahmed, and Pooja Prasanna. What happens when a Congress-led government lifts language from a BJP MP’s bill to fight fake news? Karnataka just gave us the answer. Our second story is on the Maran brothers. We hear that Kalanithi and Dayanidhi have probably reached a truce. As speculations continue about Shashi Tharoor’s next move, we learnt from sources within the Congress that the high command is in no rush to act. They wait, leaving the ball in Tharoor’s court.Read on for details. .Inside TrackExclusive stories, for your eyes only.Karnataka’s Misinformation Bill draft was plagiarised A proposed law to combat misinformation in Karnataka has, ironically, been mired in confusion – and misinformation. It now appears that sections of the bill were plagiarised, and not just from any source, but from a private member’s bill introduced by a BJP MP. The irony couldn’t be starker.The Karnataka Regulation of Misinformation Bill, 2025, which has been in the works for a couple of years, was expected to be tabled for Cabinet consideration last week. But before that could happen, a draft version of the bill was leaked to the media, triggering widespread misunderstanding.This draft version, we are told, was prepared by an official in the Law Department who took a shortcut: lifting parts – word for word– from a private member’s bill introduced by BJP MP Manoj Kotak in July 2023. Kotak’s bill aimed to criminalise the spread of fake news and included a clause banning content that disrespects “Sanatan symbols”.We checked both the versions and it is clear that the Karnataka draft was plagiarised. In fact, Manoj Kotak had asked for an authority called the Fake News on Social Media Regulatory Authority to be constituted, which was repeated in the Karnataka version.Both the bills ask for a complete ban on promotion and spread of fake news on social media platforms, prohibition of content that is ‘anti-feminism’, and any content amounting to disrespect of Sanatan symbols and beliefs.According to insiders, the Karnataka Chief Minister had instructed the Law Department to draft four separate bills: one to curb hate speech, one to regulate online gambling, a third to tackle misinformation, and a fourth aimed at eliminating caste- and identity-based discrimination in educational institutions – informally referred to as the Rohith Vemula Bill. While the law ministry was tasked with the drafting, it was expected to consult with relevant departments. This is where things began to go awry.In the case of the misinformation bill, the Law Department failed to consult the Department of IT, led by Priyank Kharge – who had originally proposed the legislation. To make matters worse, a publicist working with the law ministry leaked the draft to the media, which even misstated the bill’s title as The Karnataka Mis-Information and Fake News (Prohibition) Bill, 2025.By the time the plagiarism in the draft was discovered, it had already been widely circulated, prompting immediate criticism from media associations, free speech activists, and others.That left Priyank Kharge and his office to clarify that the leaked version should not be taken seriously.Now that the draft is public, the IT ministry has submitted a series of recommendations ahead of any Cabinet discussion. These include linking the bill to existing legal provisions aimed at curbing false information..Maran vs Maran – Truce done? What looked like an impossible issue to resolve within the first family of the DMK has probably reached a truce. DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran recently sent a legal notice to his brother and media baron Kalanidhi Maran, and accused him of indulging in corporate fraud. This became a matter of concern for the DMK, which is aggressively gearing up for the 2026 Assembly elections.We now hear that a truce has probably been reached and Chief Minister MK Stalin was a part of the peace talks. TNM, in its previous edition of Powertrip, had reported how the differences had been simmering for years and why Dayanidhi decided to send a second legal notice to his brother.The Chief Minister, who the brothers had approached initially, could not broker this then. When the issue became public after the legal notice found its way to the media, the top brass of the DMK had no choice but to intervene and settle the dispute.Sources told TNM that the reason the DMK had to facilitate a truce between the brothers was due to the keen interest shown by central agencies in the matter, and a word of advice from Dravidar Kazhagam seniors that the ongoing tussle over property could embarrass the party more than mere individuals.Talks were held at multiple levels. It is not clear whether Dayanidhi Maran got what he wanted, but sources say the final formalities of joining hands took place at the Cenotaph Road residence of the Chief Minister, with a get-together of all the family members. .Operation Tharoor: Congress waits for next moveAfter days of high drama, the political spotlight remains firmly on Shashi Tharoor. Will he quit the Congress? Cross over to the BJP? Or take an entirely different route?Speculation continues, but sources within the Congress say the high command is in no rush to act. They are waiting for Tharoor to make the first move.“The onus is on him to come forward and explain why he jumped the gun, made statements to the media contradicting the party’s stance on Operation Sindoor, and expressed displeasure over his treatment,” said a senior party source.Despite the buzz, the Congress leadership believes the communication breakdown is not as serious as it is made out to be. Tharoor, for his part, is reportedly interested in contesting from any Assembly seat in Kerala in the upcoming state election. That could give him a platform to prove his political strength and possibly position himself as the party’s chief ministerial face.But nothing can move until Tharoor does. The high command is treading carefully. With the media watching closely, they are hesitant to summon him or demand an explanation, fearing it would only create more headlines.For now, all eyes are on Tharoor. The ball is in his court..Zero HourA political story of public importance.Demolishing homes of India’s urban poor fails to address the root causes for informal settlements.Lasting change requires empathetic governance, foresight and institutional coherence..PowermovesTop 5 political storiesMecca masjid blasts to Rohith Vemula: Telangana BJP chief brings a controversial pastMan alleges he was forced to bury victims of rape and murder in Dharmasthala for over 20 years A story of torture: Post-mortem of Sivaganga custodial death victim reveals pain and horrorWhat the row over a Kerala doctor’s social media post about govt hospitals revealsAndhra HC warns magistrates to avoid unnecessary arrests, FIRs over social media posts

Karnataka’s ‘misinformation’ bill was plagiarised | Powertrip #110

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