Fact Check: Pakistani Media and Social Media User’s fake claim of Kashmiri rejecting Indian elections goes viral.

The Indian general elections have witnessed voting in 5 phases so far. The sixth phase of voting will take place on May 25, 2024, which includes the Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha seat of Jammu and Kashmir. Meanwhile, Pakistani media and social media users are claiming that 1 million soldiers have been deployed in Kashmir, which is influencing the elections.

The Pakistani media organization “Pakistani Observer” claimed in a news article that “According to the Kashmir Media Service, observers argue that no election can be free and fair in the presence of nearly 1 million soldiers. Critics claim that the presumed so-called elections are inevitably a military campaign and a meaningless exercise for the Kashmiris.”

Many Pakistani users have made identical claims on social media.

Fact Check

DFRAC’s team fact-checked the claims made by Pakistani users and social media users. Our investigation revealed that the claims made by Pakistani media and users are fake. According to numerous media reports including “Jansatta” and “Dainik Jagran”, the Indian Election Commission will deploy a total of 3.4 lakh central security personnel across the country for free and fair elections with the maximum deployment in West Bengal.

According to Dainik Jagran, 92000 CAPF personnel can be deployed in West Bengal, and 63500 personnel in the terrorism-affected Jammu and Kashmir.

According to Jansatta’s report, “As per discussion between the Home Ministry and Election Commission, the maximum deployment of central forces has been demanded for West Bengal as well as for Jammu and Kashmir. The election commission has requested 920 paramilitary companies for West Bengal and 635 for Jammu and Kashmir. At least 360 companies may be deployed in the Naxar-affected Chattisgarh.”

We also searched for some keywords on Google regarding the total deployment of soldiers in Jammu and Kashmir. We found a report from Navbharat Times which asserted that “The army has around 1.3 lakh soldiers across Jammu and Kashmir. Out of these, around 80,000 are deployed at the border. Around 40,000-45,000 personnel of Rashtriya Rifles are handling and operating in the inner areas of Kashmir. Meanwhile, around 60,000 CRPF personnel are present in Jammu and Kashmir.

Our team also searched for some keywords regarding voting in Kashmir. We found several media reports stating that record voting is taking place in Kashmir this time. According to Dainik Jagran, there was 14.43 percent voting in Srinagar in 2019, which is a record 38.49 percent in 2024. This time 58.50 percent voting took place in Baramulla compared to 38.41 percent in 2019.

Moreover, separated leaders and their family members are also actively participating in the elections this time. According to a report from News-24, Sajjad Lone, who became a separatist leader, is connecting from Baramulla, while Muneer Khan, the brother of separatist leader Naeem Ahman Khan, has entered the electoral gray as an independent candidate. Additionally, former Hurriyat leader Abdur Rashid Rathore has also cast his vote in Kashmir.

Conclusion

DFRAC’s fact check provided clarity that the claims made by Pakistani media users and social media users about the deployment of 1 million soldiers in Kashmir to influence elections are fake.