Social media can be used to call out lies of the mainstream media, and it can also be used to spread unsubstantiated rumours. Every now and then social media churns out rumours, like the time when we were inundated with rumours about demonetisation. The latest rumour seen on social media was that of veteran actress Farida Jalal’s death.
The rumour started last night on social media, but by late last night itself, DNA had already quelled the rumours. By today morning, other media houses too had picked up the truth and stopped the flow of the rumour.
It is very hard to find the source of such rumours but at least on Twitter, which is often the starting point of such rumours, it appeared that the earliest tweets on this topic came from some Pakistani handles:
انّا للہ و انّا الیہ راجعون
Most Beautiful and most loved actress in sub-continent the legendary Farida Jalal… https://t.co/xlxE1t1jTg— All Pak Drama page (@Allpakdramapage) February 19, 2017
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انّا للہ و انّا الیہ راجعون
Most Beautiful & most loved legendary actress Farida Jalal passed! May Allah grant her highest place in Jannah pic.twitter.com/jcv1MXF8ok— Taymoor Nouman ?? (@Inoumanshaikh) February 19, 2017
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Indian Actress Farida Jalal passed Away #RIPFaridaJalal
— Sameer A.Rehman ?? (@ImSameerOxPTI) February 19, 2017
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The words “Farida Jalal” began trending in Pakistan too:
⒍ #MUFC
⒎ #WeStandWithStateInstitutions
⒏ #Tabdeeli8ARY
⒐ Farida Jalal
⒑ Sheema Kirmani2017/2/19 23:15 PKT #trndnl https://t.co/V71IHDvL8r
— Trendinalia Pakistan (@trendinaliaPK) February 19, 2017
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A few social media users raised their voice too as to why only Pakistani handles were sharing such rumours:
Do Pakistani pages on Facebook check their sources before killing off people? Now they’ve tried to kill Farida Jalal aka Daayi Jaan.
— q (@brownbasic) February 19, 2017
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Farida Jalal ki death ki news sirf Pakistani tweeps ki taraf se arahi hai….is this a confirm news?
— Arnold ShalwarNikker (@DaPakiGuy) February 19, 2017
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Farida Jalal seems to be dead on Pakistani twitter only
— Ahmed Zawar (@sahmedzawar) February 19, 2017
Prominent Indian accounts which helped spread this rumour were those of Kamaal R Khan and Vice President of Mumbai Mahila Cong, Gurpreet Kaur Chadha. Both of them later deleted their tweets.
Congress has been at the forefront of spreading rumours in the past week. Digvijay Singh was exposed last week for sharing a morphed image of Amit Shah. Congress mouthpiece National Herald too was exposed for its lies. Congress Abhishek Manu Singhvi also peddled falsehoods here.
