BJP Tenkasi District President Ananthan Ayyasamy yesterday submitted two key representations to Union Minister Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw — one on railway requirements of Tenkasi and southern Tamil Nadu, and another proposing civil cost recovery for victims of fake news and deliberately fabricated digital content.
On railways, Ananthan thanked the Minister for the recently sanctioned stoppage of the 16101/16102 Tambaram–Kollam Express at Pambakovil Shandy (PBKS) and sought:
* Daily operation of 20683/20684 Tambaram–Sengottai Express
* Additional stoppages at PBKS for the Ernakulam–Velankanni Express and Mettupalayam–Tirunelveli Special
* Early commissioning of Karivalamvanthanallur and Cholapuram stations
* Tirunelveli–Bengaluru bi-weekly service via Tenkasi
* Diversion of 16235/16236 Mysuru–Thoothukudi Express via Namakkal, with a connection to the Madurai–Sengottai Passenger
* Regularisation/increased frequency of the Mettupalayam–Tirunelveli Special
Ananthan also submitted the proposed “Digital Content Accountability & Civil Cost Recovery Bill, 2026”, seeking a practical civil remedy for measurable financial, reputational and professional harm caused by deliberately fabricated online content.
The proposal provides for cost recovery, structured compensation and time-bound takedown relief, while safeguarding truth, good-faith journalism, comment, satire and artistic expression. Importantly, civil courts — not the executive — would determine falsity.
“Similar remedies exist elsewhere. Singapore provides time-bound correction and takedown powers under POFMA, while US courts award substantial damages in appropriate cases involving fabricated content. In India, civil defamation remains slow and damages have no settled method of assessment, leaving victims without a practical remedy. Free speech must be protected, but deliberate falsehoods causing measurable harm must also carry civil accountability and provide victims a practical route for cost recovery,” Ananthan said.
He thanked Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw for hearing both representations and requested favourable consideration.