Several mainstream media houses and social media handles in Pakistan are running a coordinate disinformation campaign to spread fear among the Indian public. However, the Press Information Bureau (PIB) has busted these campaign through a fact-check blitz. Meanwhile, some of the Indian media houses and social media users fell in the trap of these false claims.
Now, PIB's fact-check unit took the charge and successfully came out with the truth, debunking viral fake videos and claims. Many videos and claims were fact-checked by the PIB between 10:00 PM, May 8 and 6:30 AM, May 9. Here are the details:
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Viral Fake Videos And Claims Busted
- A video of a drone attack in Jalandhar was widely being circulated to create a panic among the masses. PIB investigated the video and found that it was an unrelated video of a farm fire. The video had the timeline of 7:39 pm, while the drone attack began later.
- An Indian post was claimed to be destroyed by the Pakistani army in one of the fake videos spread online. The video was shared and amplified by a number of fake and unverified accounts. PIB found the claim to be completely false and confirmed it to be staged upon verification, since there is no unit called “20 Raj Battalion" in the Indian Army. The video aimed to mislead the public and a part of a coordinated propaganda campaign.
- An old video was shared on Social Media with the claim that Pakistan has launched a missile attack on India in retaliation. PIB upon fact-checking the video busted the disinformation. The video shared was actually of the explosive attack that took place in Beirut, Lebanon in the year 2020.
- Information regarding a fidayeen attack on an Army brigade in Rajouri, Jammu and Kashmir was widely shared and circulated. Upon fact-checking, PIB confirmed that no such fidayeen or suicide attack occurred on any army cantonment. The false claims was solely intented to mislead and cause confusion. The video was accordingly flagged.
- A confidential letter claimed Chief of the Army Staff (CoAS) Gen V.K. Narayan had sent a confidential letter regarding military preparedness to the Army officer of Northern Command. PIB fact-checked the same and found that Gen. V.K. Narayan is not the CoAS and confirmed the letter to be completely fake.
More Fact Checks
- A social media post notoriously claimed that the Indian military used Ambala Airbase to attack Amritsar and its own citizens. PIB found the claim to be completely baseless and a part of a concerted misinformation campaign. In response, PIB provided a detailed press release of the Ministry of Defence and exposed the real picture.
A social media post was allegedly shared claiming that entry bans into airports across India. PIB busted and debunked the fake narrative and flagged the same since there was no such decision taken from the government.
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