Chennai, Jan 26 (IANS): Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Friday handed over the Kottai Ameer Communal harmony award 2024 to Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair during the Republic Day celebrations.

Zubair is a native of Denkanikottai in Krishnagiri district of Tamil Nadu.

Alt News portal is a fact-checking portal and analyses the veracity of the social media posts.

“His work helps to prevent the occurrence of violence in society likely to be caused by fake news,” reads the citation given to Mohammed Zubair.

The citation said that the example of Alt News bringing out the truth behind fake news which said that migrant workers were being attacked in Tamil Nadu.

Zubair, after verifying the video footage, said that the video of migrant workers being attacked in Tamil Nadu was fake. His fact checking, apparently, prevented major violence in Tamil Nadu.

The Chief Minister also handed over the Chief Minister’s Special Award to U. Aayi Ammal alias Poornam who donated her 1.52 acre of land for the upgradation of Madurai East Panchayat Union Middle School as High School at Y. Kodikulam.

She had donated her land in memory of her daughter Janani who passed away.

The Chief Minister also distributed the Anna Medal for Gallantry, 2024 to fisherman Yasaar Arafat of Kayalpattinam in Thoothukudi district who led over a dozen fishermen from Singithurai to rescue about 250 people from the devastating floods.