Pakistan’s project Khalistan keeps sprouting on social media. After emergence of Amritpal Singh, an extremist leader espousing the cause of a separate Sikh land, Islamabad’s Twitter army has found an easy job to recycle videos of Sikh anger, launching hashtags in favour of Khalistan and highlighting uncorroborated atrocities of Indian state against Sikhs.
Not only the cyber warriors of Pakistan, but also some renowned mainstream media channels like ARY News ran programmes to malign Indian image with programmes like “Muslims Ke Baad, Sikh Bhi Modi Ke Bharat Mein Mehfooz Nahin (After Muslims, Even Sikhs Are Not Safe in Modi’s India).”
The DFRAC did a quick check on media reports, hashtags and barrage of tweets made by Pakistani channels and handles to propagandise fictional Khalistan Movement that only exists in the poisonous imagination of such hate-peddlers.
- Leading Pakistani news channel ARY News, which has a sharp tilt towards Right Wing elements in Pakistan, ran a detailed report on Ajnala police station incident in Amritsar, Indian Punjab. It said that it was the first biggest Sikh agitation against Indian state. It also carried unconfirmed information that chief of Waris Punjab De outfit, Amritpal Singh, threatened Union Home Amit Shah to be ready to face the fate of slain Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
The report was headlined: “After Muslims, even Sikhs are not safe in Modi’s India.”
This programme fetched 15K views till the time of writing this report.
- Sukhoi Slayer @TurgotandNecker, a rabid anti-India handle operated by Pakistani defence establishment, shared a tweet by The Indian Express’s Punjab reporter Man Aman Singh Chhina (@manaman_chhina) that read: “Hot tempers at 3 BRD of IAF in Chandigarh almost led to an ugly incident between a security guard and a civilian with the guard threatening to shoot. 3 BRD officials say the civilian acted aggressively.” The tweet was made on February 26 and had attached a video of the incident.
@TurgotandNecker reposted the tweet with a malignant spin: “This what happens when you’re a Sikh in a secular India. #Khalistan will get independence. Stay strong my Sikh brothers. ❤” It was rewtweeted by many, including one handle claiming affiliation with Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf.
- Sunifa Rani @SunifaRani, an independent Twitter user, claimed that Hindus are safe in Pakistan and enjoy equal rights, but minority Sikhs are killed in India. Her tweet read: “They don’t have any issue in Pakistan even to Hindus too. They are happy and equal rights are given in all over in Pakistan but in your tutelary #Endia every minority is being killed, tortured and slapped. Let them to make a great Khalistan.”
- Munib Hamid @MunibHamid is the official handle of a known Pakistani TV show host and political analyst, Munib Hamid. It tweeted on February 25, the day when Amritsar incident happened: “Ab banay ga #Khalistan and Pakistan supports you.” 10 people from Pakistan re-tweeted this tweet.
- Kaka Lahori @KakaLahorii, seemingly a Twitter bot run from Pakistan, shared a tweet on February 27, trending #Khalistan and #Amritpal Singh hashtags. It read: “We Pakistanis are ready to support Khalistan but first all pro Khalistani Sikhs need to promise that they will convert willingly after getting their Khalistan. #AmritpalSingh will be Abdul hameed after conversion. #KhalistanReferendum.”
