INTRODUCTION
Saffron Diaries (@SaffronDiaries) is an official page running on Twitter with a following of more than 2,000 accounts. According to its Twitter bio, the page is a non-partisan, journalists-run platform, which shares real-time information and analysis, not propaganda. But while scrolling through the content of the page, the DFRAC team found the material being extremely variance from the stated claim of the page. Moreover, the page is running its information (or misinformation) campaign only on Twitter; it doesn’t have any website.
In this DFRAC Exclusive, we will present the analysis of this propaganda account that is being operated from Pakistan and intends to malign India’s image globally. They have chosen the name SaffronDiaries to masquerade as being Indian.
According to the investigation, the account has purchased the verification badge through the new Twitter subscription policy in order to appear authentic and reliable.
Account of @SaffronDiaries
The account was created in December 2019 but it shows tweeting its first tweet on 30th December 2022. (Tweet Link)
The total number of tweets from the account is shown as 8,976 but the tweets before 30th December 2022 are all deleted.
Below is the graph depicting the engagement of the account of @SaffronDiaries. It can be seen that there are no tweets before 30th Dec 2022. And the account has been quite active since January 2023.
Engagement of @SaffronDiaries
The investigation into the absence of tweets from the account revealed that it earlier existed with some other name and later rechristened itself to SaffronDiaries. The account was earlier running in the name of Rahid Hamid (@Rahidhamid1) from Pakistan.
While searching the tweets mentioning @RahidHamid1, the results show tweets tagging @SaffronDiaries. It shows that the account has changed its username from @RahidHamid1 to @SaffronDiaries.
Search results of @RahidHamid1
Right from the beginning, the account has raised anti-India sentiments and tried to provoke its followers. Many hashtags were generated by this account to target the Indian nation and get the attention of netizens. Hashtags like #IndianStatesWantFreedom, #Endia2019Highlights, #TrumpSayModiObey, etc were used by this account, which displayed a lot of hate content targeting India.
@SaffronDiaries also promoted separatist ideology through many of his previous posts which are now deleted.
When we searched the accounts that have tagged @RahidHamid1 in the past, it was revealed that this account, which is now running under the name of @SaffronDiaries, is part of a bigger network. @RahidHamid1 is one of the members of DOP i.e. Defenders of Pakistan, a group of ultra-Pakistani nationalists who spew hatred and venom against India in every possible way.
Account of @WeDefenders_ tagging @RahidHamid1
@WeDefenders_ which tagged @RahidHamid1 is the leader of Defenders of Pakistan. The account of @Team_DOP is suspended on Twitter as the account violates the Twitter rule.
Account of @WeDefenders_
@Team4PK, ISI_Patriotic, @OfficialDGISPR, @ISITighers, @TeamPakDefence are some of the accounts with which @HamidRahid1 has interacted the most.
@SaffronDiaries replying to the Official account of DG ISPR
Followers of @SaffronDiaries
Saffron Diaries has more than 2,100 followers on Twitter. The majority of the followers are from Pakistan and it can be seen that many supporters of Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek e Pakistan party also follow this account. @Azeemkhaddar222, @NiniYmz, etc. Whereas some of the accounts are from India such as @pitchaijohn1961, @bhomikayrakshak, @SachinGupta (journalist of Dainik Bhaskar), etc.
Followers of @SaffronDiaries
The account has also liked tweets of writers, commentators, and propagandists like Pieter Friedrich, Ashok Swain, ISI Tigers, and many more where they have targeted India.
Tweets Liked by @SaffronDiaries
Conclusion:
Twitter bluetick used to be a symbol of authenticity, but now with the introduction of the new subscription policy, it is also being used as a weapon by unreliable/misguiding accounts to obtain the garb of credibility. The DFRAC team has yet again lifted the veil off a Pakistani IT Cell account posing as an Indian one. By adopting a new pseudo-patriotic identity, @SaffronDiaries, formerly known as @RahidHamid1, aims to spread hateful and communal propaganda in India. Such venomous activities through propaganda accounts need to be kept in check by Twitter authorities.
