'Vested interests' running 'misinformation campaign': Lakshadweep administration runs ads in newspapers

Even as Lakshadweep administrator Praful K Patel is being widely criticised for making sweeping changes in the union territory, the Lakshadweep administration issued large advertorials in national dailies like the Times of India, New Indian Express and Hindustan Times.

The advertorial, titled “Lakshadweep ushering into a new era of progress, prosperity & opportunities,” is about recent steps taken by the administration that have “ushered in new direction and momentum to the development in the island".

This echoes what Lakshadweep collector Asker Ali said on Thursday while defending Patel.

Describing the progress in health, agriculture, education and IT, among others, the advertorial said people with "vested interests" were propagating a "misinformation campaign against the administration". It urged citizens to, therefore, participate in "this journey of development".

The ad appeared on the last page of the New Indian Express across editions in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala and Odisha. It featured on the ninth page of Times of India and on the eleventh page of Hindustan Times.

The advertorials were published even as multiple Opposition leaders and social media users tweeted against Patel's policies, using the hashtag #SaveLakshadweep.

Patel's proposals in the union territory include a ban on beef, a Goonda Act though the union territory has fairly low crime rates, changes in panchayat rules, a contentious draft of land reforms, and a change in Covid protocol, which is believed to be the reason for a Covid crisis in the archipelago, which did not report a single infection last year.