Fallacy of Red Herring

The Red Herring is a fallacious argument whose effectiveness lies in distraction. Attention is deflected, readers or listeners are drawn to some aspect of the topic under discussion by which they are led away from the issue that had been the focus of the discussion. They are urged to attend to some observation or some claim that may be associated with the topic, but that is not relevant to the truth of what had originally been in dispute. A Red Herring has been drawn across the track.[1]

Example: An application was filed by Ms. Bhardwaj and retired Commodore Lokesh Bhatra about the lack of transparency in the appointment process of Information Commissioners under the Right to Information (RTI) Act despite a judgment from the Supreme Court. However, the Chief Justice of India Shri. Sharad Arvind Bobde said the unbridled use of the RTI Act had created a sense of “paralysis and fear” in the government. “There is paralysis and fear about this Act (RTI).” [2]

[1] Copi Irving and Cohen Carl (2009), Introduction to Logic, Pearson Education Inc. and Dorling Kindersley, South Asia, pg 125.

[2] https://thewire.in/rights/cji-bobde-rti-activists-misuse-disagree