A namesake creates trouble for former Kerala Minister P.K. Sreemathi
CPI(M) leader P.K. Sreemathi was the subject of a viral misinformation campaign alleging she improperly claimed a pension. It was later clarified that the pension recipient was a different woman with the same name.
Why it matters
Demonstrates the real-world impact of social media misinformation and the difficulty of correcting false narratives.
A social media campaign alleging that former Minister and Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] leader P.K. Sreemathi had drawn a pension claiming to be the wife of a former MLA has been found to be based on a case of mistaken identity.
The allegation, which circulated widely online, claimed that Ms. Sreemathi had received a pension as the spouse of a former legislator. The claim, which cited purported RTI documents, prompted an emotional response from the veteran CPI(M) leader, who denied the allegation. She claimed that an MLA by that name had never been elected to the State Assembly and added that she would approach the police against the social media campaign.
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