On January 24, Alt News co-founder and alleged fact-checker Mohammed Zubair shared a video claiming that the woman speaking in the video represented the voice of Kashmiri Hindus. The woman in the video lashed out at Bharatiya Janata Party, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri for his film The Kashmir Files. The video was initially shared by the Vice Chairman of Jammu Kashmir National Conference’s Block Council, Dachnipora Umesh Talashi.
Hello @vivekagnihotri, Here are a few Kashmiri Pandits talking about you and your movie. Also about the Govt which supported and promoted your propaganda movie. pic.twitter.com/STamc9x1oT
— Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear) January 24, 2023
Both Talashi and Zubair failed to point out that the woman in the video was wearing a ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ tag that read ‘State Yatri’. For those who are unaware, ‘State Yatri’ is one of the designations given to Congress workers who are part of Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra. Those who have remained part of the journey from start to end have been named ‘Bharat Yatri’, and people from each state who have joined the journey just in their respective states have been named ‘State Yatri’. Those who are joining the journey for a few hours or a short span have been named ‘Guest Yatri’, for example, former RBI chief Raghuram Rajan.
State Yatri may vary from 100 to 150 depending on the state. If the lady who talked to the reporter has a ‘State Yatri’ tag, that means she is among the selected State functionaries of the Congress party. Furthermore, when we checked the channel that published the video, it was evidently a pro-Congress and anti-BJP YouTube channel. All that information was hidden while sharing the video.
Twitter user Ankur Singh who goes by the Twitter handle @iAnkurSingh, pointed out how Zubair had previously hit out at BJP when one of its functionaries was designated as a social worker on a TV debate. He wrote, “This Mohammed Zubair does fact checks when a channel doesn’t mention ‘BJP Worker’ to panellists. But himself is showing a Congress worker as the voice of Kashmiri Pandits. The woman is wearing Congress’ State Yatri’ ID Card, which has the Congress flag in the background.”
This @zoo_bear does fact checks when a channel doesn’t mention ‘BJP Worker’ to panelists.
— Ankur Singh (@iAnkurSingh) January 25, 2023
But himself is showing a Congress worker as voice of Kashmiri Pandits.
Woman is wearing Congress ‘State Yatri’ ID Card, has Congress flag in background. https://t.co/C8Spt6CNcl pic.twitter.com/dzT7rMzxxx
Ankur shared a screenshot of Zubair’s tweet from January 20, 2023, where he pointed out how BJP member Alpana Chouhan was mentioned as Social Worker in a TV debate. However, when he shared the video against Kashmir Files, Zubair mentioned the lady in the video as “Kashmiri Pandit”.
Advocate Ashutosh Dubey also pointed out the same. He said, “The funny aspect is that they are clearly not ordinary Kashmiri Pandits because they are holding the flag of the Congress party in the background.”
The funny aspect is that they are clearly not ordinary Kashmiri Pandits because they are holding the flag of the Congress party in the background.
— ADV. ASHUTOSH J. DUBEY 🇮🇳 (@AdvAshutoshBJP) January 24, 2023
Author Anshul Pandey said, “Congress flag in the back says it all!”
Congress flag in the back says it all!
— Anshul Pandey (@Anshulspiritual) January 24, 2023
Pallavi CT, Co-convenor BJP Mumbai – IT and SM Cell, said, “Dear, you call yourself a Fact Checker but can’t see that this “Kashmiri Pandit” lady is the wife of a leader from Congress Minority Cell (can’t you see Congress Flag?). Congis RIGGED 1987 polls & released 70 hardcore P@k trained militants that lead to 1990 Kashmiri Hindu genocide.”
Dear, you call yourself a Fact Checker but can’t see that
— PallaviCT (@pallavict) January 25, 2023
this “Kashmiri Pandit” lady is wife of leader from Congress Minority Cell (can’t you see Congress Flag?)🤨
Congis RIGGED 1987 polls & released 70 hardcore P@k trained militants that lead to 1990 Kashmiri Hindu genoc!de😢 pic.twitter.com/8aICmzwljr
Propaganda against The Kashmir Files
Since its release, The Kashmir Files by filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri has faced a lot of opposition. While the film was accepted with open arms by the viewers and it became one of the highest-grossing films of 2022, a large section of media including BBC, NDTV and others called it a propaganda film and claimed it was fiction.
