Amid growing tensions between India and Pakistan following a series of deadly cross-border attacks, Indian authorities have accused Pakistan of intensifying a disinformation campaign aimed at fuelling panic and confusion.
Over the past week, multiple social media posts and videos have gone viral, falsely claiming that suicide bombers attacked an Indian Army brigade in Rajouri and that a major strike had occurred at the Hazira Port in Gujarat. The Indian government's Press Information Bureau (PIB) swiftly stepped in to quash the rumours, calling them "baseless" and "mischievous."
Similarly, claims of an attack on Gujarat’s Hazira Port were also debunked by PIB’s The Fact Check Unit. A video that was being shared to support this claim was traced back to a 2021 explosion at an ONGC plant in Surat. The PIB's statement further discredited an old video, falsely attributed to a Pakistani missile attack on India, which was actually footage of an explosion in Beirut, Lebanon, from 2020.
The PTI reported that these pieces of fake news were part of a broader, coordinated campaign being pushed through accounts with links to Pakistan. The intent, officials said, appears to be to mislead the public and create internal disruption amid ongoing military operations.
Sources in the Indian security establishment said that this misinformation blitz is seen as a deliberate tactic by Islamabad to deflect attention from India’s precision strikes under "Operation Sindoor" — a retaliatory military operation targeting terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, launched in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22 that left 26 civilians dead.
Despite the mounting narrative on social media, there has been no official confirmation from India regarding claims by Pakistan that several Indian Air Force jets, including Rafales and MiG-29s, were shot down by Pakistani J-10C fighters. Independent verification of such claims remains unavailable.
Meanwhile, fact-checking teams in India, including the PIB’s Fact Check Unit, have been working in overdrive to counter these falsehoods. In one instance, the video claiming to be that of a drone attack in Jalandhar pertained to a farm fire turned out to be fake. The district collector of Jalandhar has confirmed it to be disinformation, the PIB said.
The government has urged citizens to rely on verified sources and not fall prey to manipulated videos or sensationalist posts. Social media platforms have also been asked to increase vigilance and take down harmful content in coordination with Indian authorities.
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
