Manohar Parrikar cautions voters against being misled by Facebook, WhatApp ahead of Goa bypolls

Social media platforms WhatsApp and Facebook will be misused extensively ahead of the August 23 by-polls to Panaji assembly constituency, Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar said on Sunday. [caption id=“attachment_3943737” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar. PTI[/caption] The former Defence Minister’s comments come a few days after a fake news report, quoting Parrikar as saying that he would opt to re-join the Defence Ministry if he lost the upcoming assembly by-poll, went viral. “Someone created bogus news and quoted it everywhere. I had never spoken to the press. There was no news. A news item was created on the internet, quoting a media (channel) and it was sent to everyone. WhatsApp and Facebook will be misused extensively in the next three days,” Parrikar said. The Chief Minister on Saturday denied speaking to the media suggesting that he was open to the idea of returning to national politics as Defence Minister, if he lost the 23 August by-election. Shiv Sena mouth-piece had even published an editorial on Friday criticizing Parrikar on the basis of this “news”.