Mysore Pak 'controversy': How India's leading media houses fell for a photoshopped pic

Two of the leading media houses took the humour in the tweet as real and based the story on the doctored documents

Days after Bengalis and Odiyas sparred over origin of rasgulla, noted journalist Anand Ranganathan started a Twitter poll asking people to vote whether Mysore pak, a famous south Indian sweet, is a Tamilian or a Kannadiga invention.

He also retweeted a two year old  post with a photoshopped document sarcastically declaring Tamil Nadu as the place of origin of the famous south Indian sweet.

However, two of the leading media houses took the humour in the tweet as real and based the story on the doctored documents.

“One of my best friend from Bangalore told me that Mysuru Pak was invented by the people of Madras. Tamilians have been making Mysuru Pak for years, but 74 years ago, a lawyer from Mysore stole the recipe and handed over the secret formula to the king of Mysore. The king of then named the dish ‘Mysore Pak’,” they quoted believing it to be the original speech of Lord Macaulay in Indian parliament.

However, Ranganathan expressed surprise as how these media outlets carried a story based on a sarcastic tweet and doctored documents.

 

 

He further took a swipe at both media houses while asking tweeples to vote in the polling contest.

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