Hyper activist Kavita Krishnan who doubles up as a freelance protestor who has mastery over peddling fake news has been exposed yet again for not only spreading false propaganda but also for standing in support of a notorious fake news peddler Mohammad Asif Khan, who has a history of propagating communally sensitive fake news.
The saga started after Md Asif Khan, a notorious fake news peddler and an Islamist, shared misleading reports pertaining to the road-rage incident that occurred in Delhi on August 31st. A 23-year-old youth named Sahil Singh had died following a brawl. However, Khan went on to claim that the 23-year-old was killed by a mob after they mistook him to a Muslim.
He is 23 yr old Sahil, from Delhi.
Recently he was thrashed by a mob in Delhi.
He was brutally beaten up by a mob bcz during a scuffle mob mistook him as a Muslim when his friends call his name.
His family taken him to hospital but he was dead by then.
1/2 pic.twitter.com/mG4EQ6oN5F
— Md Asif Khan آصِف (@imMAK02) September 2, 2019
However, no such reports or records exist suggesting that 23-year-old Sahil was killed by a ‘mob’ after they had allegedly thought that he was a Muslim. In fact, Khan resorted to fake news after he said that a ‘mob’ had killed Sahil after the road-rage incident.
According to the reports, the Delhi police after the incident has arrested only two people including a juvenile after they had attacked Sahil. Sahil had succumbed to injuries after a drunk man and his juvenile son had allegedly stabbed him.
Shockingly, Md Khan chose to refer two individuals as a ‘mob’ and invents a new storyline claiming that he was killed for having a Muslim name.
As Khan resorted to spreading communally sensitive fake propaganda, strangely, The Wire journalist Rohini Singh, who herself has a history of propagating fake news, called out Khan for ‘spreading propaganda and stirring the communal pot’ and advised him to read the report he himself had shared, while stating that there was neither a ‘mob’ nor it was a communal incident.
If you are done spreading propaganda and stirring the communal pot like always maybe you should read the report you are quoting. The ‘ground report’ brings out two different versions of the parents of the victim. https://t.co/VDKbIRnSZp
— Rohini Singh (@rohini_sgh) September 3, 2019
As the attempts to communalise the death of a 23-year-old youth was thwarted by their own, Kavita Krishnan, who is an apologist for Khan jumped into the conversation to attack fellow Rohini Singh for exposing Khan. Citing a Quint report, Krishnan claimed that Asif has never to her knowledge, been irresponsible or spread fake news.
Amusingly, The Quint report, which is supposedly a ground report, also quotes the victim’s mother, Sangeeta, who said that Sahil had gone to help his friend’s brother who got into a scuffle with someone. The parents, as per The Quint report, thought there is a communal angle to the unfortunate incident because “entire lane is saying that a Muslim has been killed”. The report also mentions that the police has ruled out communal angle. The police has mentioned that the perpetrator was inebriated and the scuffle broke out over passing through the lane.
A war of words soon began between Rohini Singh and Kavita Krishnan. Rohini Singh targetted Krishnan for supporting Asif Khan and asserted that it was not the first time that Asif has been indulging in fake news. She also stated that The Quint report carried a conflicting version of the parents who are themselves not sure whether Sahil was killed because he was mistaken to be a Muslim.
I feel you are quick to jump in without verifying things yourself Kavita. Not the first time. Kindly read the report quoted by Asif himself. The parents have conflicting version, they ‘believe’ he was killed because he was mistaken to be a Muslim. They aren’t sure. https://t.co/oal3hYtPQh
— Rohini Singh (@rohini_sgh) September 3, 2019
Kavita, however, maintained that Asif Khan is not a purveyor of fake news.
Sadly, communal violence against Muslims isn’t a narrative. It’s a reality that @imMAK02 documents tirelessly. It’s a hard job to do, very triggering and tough. Even if he ever overstates something, he corrects it, every time. He’s no proponent of fake news. Peace & out.
— Kavita Krishnan (@kavita_krishnan) September 3, 2019
Soon, social media users also pointed out to the repeated instances in which Mohammad Asif Khan had indulged in fake news propaganda after Kavita Krishnan claimed that Khan had never shared any fake news.
Never. Really? posting here a recent one, he has been caught hundred times doing this. pic.twitter.com/miglOyskn6
— Laliya (@Lala_The_Don) September 3, 2019
This is something we call ‘spreading’ fake news. after your tweet video was quoted all over SM.
One more. pic.twitter.com/ph5BWOgUcs
— Laliya (@Lala_The_Don) September 3, 2019
After social media users exposed lies and half-truths peddled by Asif Khan, an angry Khan put up bizarre defence claiming that he never indulged in any fake News. He went on to claim that deleting a fake post after getting exposed cannot be referred to as propagating fake news.
Hey Bhakt, this is not called fake News. I was asking police to take action on that video.
I was NOT GIVING information, I was SEEKING information that is why tagged 3 Police handle.
After getting information I have deleted tweet.
Do you understand that??
— Md Asif Khan آصِف (@imMAK02) September 3, 2019
In an attempt to save her comrade, Kavita Krishnan yet again jumped into the conversation to put up outlandish justifications to declare what constituted fake news. Ironically, Krishnan who has caught peddling fake news several times, went to on to redefine fake news.
According to Krishnan, fake news mongers do not tag police handles and ask them to act. She said that fake news peddlers do not delete tweets once they realise it is old. Krishnan claimed that Asif had gotten her to delete her mistaken tweets many times and in return, she had asked him to delete his overstated tweets many times. Hence, Asif Khan is no ‘Fake News Monger’.
No. Fake news mongers don’t tag police handles and ask them to act. They don’t delete tweets once they realise it’s old. Asif has gotten me to delete my mistaken tweets many times. I’ve gotten him to correct/delete his overstated tweets many times. HE IS NO FAKE NEWS MONGER.
— Kavita Krishnan (@kavita_krishnan) September 3, 2019
Apparently, if you tag police, you are absolved of the responsibility and repercussions of spreading fake news.
There has been an increasing trend where fake ‘hate crimes’ are peddled to show ‘rising intolerance’. There were a series of incidents where Muslim victims claimed they were beaten up and forced to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’. While there were some unfortunate incidents which, there were quite a few where these ‘hate crimes’ were found to be fake after police investigation. Moreover, there has also been a trend where ‘liberal’ media promoted ‘hate crime trackers’ take liberties to understate a hate crime if the victim is a Hindu and perpetrator is a Muslim.
