AsiaNet-Pakistan Premier Editorial Content and Press Release Distribution Service
Delhi, Recent reports indicate a significant increase in the dissemination of fake news and propaganda in India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration, with the country allegedly leading globally in the spread of misinformation.
According to Kashmir Media Service, a documentary by Channel News Asia (CNA) Insider has highlighted concerning trends regarding misinformation in India. The documentary detailed an incident from a rally held by Congress leader Ashok Gehlot during the Rajasthan elections in November of the previous year, where a video purportedly showing chants in favor of Modi was exposed as fraudulent by several fact-checkers.
CNA Insider also referenced a 2023 Statista survey labeling fake news as one of the greatest threats in India. The report describes how freelancers are extensively employed during elections to push political narratives built on falsehoods and manipulated content across social media platforms.
Further investigations by CNA Insider revealed that political parties, including the BJP, have mobilized thousands of IT cell workers to engage in social media campaigns against political rivals. In a notable instance from the 2019 elections in Uttar Pradesh, the BJP reportedly enlisted over 200,000 cyber workers to aid their campaign.
In April 2019, Facebook took action by shutting down over 700 accounts linked to spreading misleading information about the BJP. This situation underscores the broader challenge of fake news, which, as per Disinfo Lab’s 15 years of research, includes some 750 fake media handles operating from India and affecting 119 countries.
The documentary also touched on the severe consequences of such misinformation, citing an outbreak of Hindu-Muslim violence in Haryana on August 3 of the previous year, which resulted in injuries to over 200 people and the deaths of seven. Additionally, it was reported that Rakib Naik, the founder of Hindutva Watch and a Kashmiri journalist, was deported from India after shedding light on the false narratives being propagated.