More evidence surfaced today confirm that Pakistani spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence uses Islamist expatriates from Kerala to run ‘Islamophobia in India campaign’ in West Asia. Indian Security agencies that the recent hashtags like Islamophia in India, Shame on Modi, Chaos in India etc. on Twitter in the forms of bots, trolls and fake ids are mainly run from Pakistan.
According to sources, Indian security agencies, on Wednesday, submitted a detailed report to the Ministry of Home Affairs in this regard. The agencies have identified major social media profiles that piloted the propaganda campaign, targeting India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and arrived at a conclusion that it is a part of coordinated effort between certain Kerala-based Jihadi elements and ISI-network in UAE.
As per the Intelligence sources, the pattern of the campaign is in line with the ISI international propaganda over the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. The agencies also found that the ISI has got active support of Kerala-based Jihadi elements in generating text and graphic contents.
The security agencies and India-based think tanks have found that most of the fake Twitter accounts used for the campaign were mainly operated from Pakistan. For example, a Twitter account which was initially @pak_fauj had changed it to @SayyindaMona and used profile picture of Princess Mona bint Fahd al of Oman @MonaFahad13. Islamists from India as well as abroad had widely propagated a tweet against India, claiming to have posted by the Princess of Oman, that says,” Oman stands with its Muslim brothers and sisters in India. If the Indian Govt doesn’t stop the persecution of Muslims, then 1million workers living in Oman may be expelled. I will definitely take up this issue with the Sultan of Oman. @narendramodi — H.H. Mona bint Fahd al Said ???? (@SayyidaMona) April 21, 2020.”
However, close on the heels of the fake tweet, the Omani princess came up with a statement, clarifying that the tweet was not made by her. “Friends, First of all, I thank you for your concern to verify the offensive post published through an account impersonating me, which you are sure that I have no connection with it. With full trust in all of you in strengthening awareness among all regarding such activities, which are not acceptable to the Omani society, I confirm again that my presence in social media is restricted on the following accounts: @hhmonaalsaid and @MonaFahad 13.” Prince Mona clarified.
A social media user Anshul Saxena exposed as to how a Facebook page, Classified Journal Post (CJ Post) with thousands of subscribers including many Indians, manipulated to project itself as a neutral platform.
