New Delhi, Oct 31 (NationPress) In a subtle reference to the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi's criticisms aimed at the Election Commission of India regarding perceived unfair election practices, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on Friday raised concerns about the danger of disinformation undermining the integrity of national institutions.

“The credibility of these institutions in the public eye must not be allowed to diminish due to disinformation, hostile propaganda, or self-serving political agendas; these institutions are sacrosanct,” he remarked, identifying the defence forces, security forces, judiciary, Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), and the electoral system as potential targets of disinformation campaigns driven by vested interests.

“It will be extraordinarily detrimental,” he emphasized, highlighting the necessity for the government to enhance efforts in perception management and raising awareness to safeguard the reputation of national institutions.

During a lecture on governance commemorating Rashtriya Ekta Diwas, Doval underlined the importance of capacity building to reach the objective of a developed nation.

In addition to training personnel and implementing new technologies and best practices, he pointed out the critical need for enhancing the government's capacity in perception management and awareness creation.

“Effective perception management is crucial as the national will is compromised when its image is tarnished,” he stated, further noting that this undermines public confidence in the country's electoral and financial systems, as citizens perceive a lack of transparency.

Doval suggested that governance could be improved in areas such as accountability and maintaining a low tolerance for defaulters.

He recommended a stricter approach towards defaulters, asserting, “Misplaced sympathy is the worst form of quality.”

He advocated for making it highly punitive to support or protect wrongdoers.

Recalling a previous discussion regarding measures to combat corruption within the police force, the NSA indicated that he once proposed that a negative entry could be made in the record of an immediate senior officer of a corrupt policeman, signifying their inability to control corruption among their subordinates.

“The senior will then ensure that corruption is reduced... potentially by at least 50 percent as it becomes their interest to ensure that their subordinates do not appear openly corrupt,” he asserted.