Arshdeep Drops Catch, Fake Pak Twitter Handles Promote Khalistan Agenda

NEW DELHI, (IANS) – Pakistan has time and again been trying to create strife between Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs in India, India’s intelligence sources are telling the media. This time their target was Indian cricketer Arshdeep Singh, who was called ‘Khalistani’ on Twitter, to mislead Indian social media users.

Arshdeep had dropped a crucial catch during the Asia Cup match between arch-rivals India and Pakistan on September 4. One of the Pakistani Twitter accounts that trolled Arshdeep said, “Arshdeep is clearly a part of the Pakistan-backed Khalistan movement.”

Most of the accounts targeting Arshdeep, were from Pakistan and running Khalistan propaganda against India, said, intelligence officers.

Fake accounts were also created where India was said to be against the Sikh community after Arshdeep missed the catch during the Asia Cup match.

Meanwhile, the troll army also tampered with Arshdeep’s Wikipedia page to spread misleading and malicious information against him.

This was the latest example of Pakistan’s digital army promoting Khalistan while Pakistan’s intelligence agency ISI continues to fund the Khalistani anti-national forces said a senior intelligence officer, who tracks terrorist activity. The officer said ISI is funding pro-Khalistan activities like ‘Referendum 2022,’ which its website calls “a campaign to liberate Punjab which is currently under Indian occupation.”

Social media analysts confirm that there was a resurgence in pro-Khalistan campaigns on social media after the commencement of the groundwork on the Kartarpur corridor by India and Pakistan in November 2018.

“More attention has been given to spread Khalistani propaganda online, as it is the cheapest, most cost-effective form of propaganda, and Pakistan is funding and supporting these efforts,” they say.

A Punjab Police officer said: “Social media has definitely become a nuisance. It is used to run misinformation campaigns, to run movements like Referendum 2020, to idolize (banned) organizations like KLF (Khalistan Liberation Force), to collect funds, and to spread propaganda.”