There is a growing and dangerous trend in Indian media: giving oxygen to every bizarre claim made by two leaders who thrive on misinformation—Donald Trump and Rahul Gandhi. One is the US President, Donald Trump’s desperate for relevance; the other, the forever-in-waiting crown prince of the Nehru–Gandhi dynasty, Rahul Gandhi. Both repeatedly peddle falsehoods, hoping that repetition will convert fiction into fact. And yet, much of our media laps it up and republishes it as if it were news.
If credibility matters, the Indian media must draw a line. Stop giving space to reckless claims—especially those made without evidence and with the clear intent to mislead public opinion. Responsible journalism is not about amplifying every statement; it is about filtering truth from propaganda.
Take Donald Trump. He keeps bragging that he “stopped eight wars.” But let us confront reality: not one of the conflicts he repeatedly points to has actually been resolved. Russia’s brutal assault on Ukraine continues. Israel remains locked in an unending clash in Gaza. Iran’s nuclear ambitions may have been briefly slowed, but the region is still boiling. India continues to maintain heightened alertness against Pakistan and China because national security demands real readiness, not rhetorical theatrics. India’s preparedness, visible in the “Trishul” tri-services exercise and broader strategies including “Operation Sindhuraksha,” shows that our soldiers remain fully deployed—not because Donald Trump halted wars, but because threats are real and persistent. So when Trump thumps his chest and claims to have prevented global wars, the Indian media has no reason to quote such delusions as if they matter, unless they are on the payrolls of the rogue elements. He has stopped nothing—except facts from ever reaching his speeches.
Rahul Gandhi operates with similar disregard for truth. His latest attempt to revive the “vote chori” accusation is a classic example of political deceit. The Supreme Court has already upheld the Election Commission’s authority to conduct the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), and the Election Commission has even invited Rahul Gandhi and his allies to file affidavits and submit proof of alleged voter deletion. He chose not to—because he has none. Instead, he conveniently shifts his allegations from Bihar to Haryana or wherever elections happen to occur, hoping that noise will compensate for the lack of evidence. This is not courage or activism; it is a pre-emptive excuse for losing elections. Every time he repeats the same fiction, he erodes what little credibility the Congress still retains.
Look at the Bihar elections underway. With more than half the constituencies polling, the National Democratic Alliance appears strong and confident. Despite loud predictions of anti-incumbency, the NDA seems poised for a more decisive mandate. In sharp contrast, the Mahagathbandhan, particularly Tejashwi Yadav of RJD and the Opposition’s chief ministerial face, already looks jittery. Instead of projecting confidence, he whines about slow polling and voter suppression conspiracies. The Election Commission’s recent clean-up removed around 35–40 lakh duplicate or invalid entries—an essential exercise to protect the sanctity of the vote. But for those sensing defeat, it became an opportunity to scream “fraud” and blame everything except their own failures. Manufactured outrage is the newest currency of a political class running out of real issues.
Democracy is not damaged by lawful voter verification or readiness for national security. It is damaged by leaders who shamelessly mislead the people and slander institutions simply to stay politically relevant. And it is damaged further when the media amplifies these lies, pretending that mere sensationalism equals journalism. A free press does not mean a reckless press. Trump boasts. Rahul blames. Both manipulate. And newspapers, channels, and portals that continue to give them uncritical space become complicit in a larger deception.
India deserves better. It deserves a media that respects truth more than headlines and that refuses to allow misinformation to become mainstream discourse. If the Indian media continues to provide a platform for proven lies, soon the public will lose trust not only in these politicians but in journalism itself. The solution is straightforward: stop reporting nonsense. Silence the noise. Let facts—not fantasies—shape the national narrative.
