On May 14, Twitter owner and billionaire Elon Musk quoted OpIndia’s tweet from December 2022, which was part of a thread on how media was duped by fake Twitter employees. A man who identified as Daniel Johnson talked to the media on the day Musk fired many Twitter teams. Johnson posed as a Twitter employee along with another person who was identified on camera as Rahul Ligma. Quoting OpIndia’s tweet, Musk wrote, “Feel so long ago.”
Feels so long ago … https://t.co/04Lop7jCUm
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 14, 2023
While the well-wishers were pleased to see OpIndia getting recognition, many attacked Musk accusing OpIndia of publishing fake news because its reportage doesn’t jibe with the liberal propaganda.
Interestingly, some of them added screenshots of Wikipedia, an open-source encyclopedia, as a source of the claim. Wikipedia itself says it is not a reliable source and should not be considered an authentic source of information.
Here OpIndia for you,did you know sir? pic.twitter.com/Xh2CKo9xBh
— 𝘼𝙍𝙈𝘼𝙉 |ਅਰਮਾਨ | ارمان 🇮🇳 (@Indian19100) May 14, 2023
Furthermore, Wikipedia’s co-founder Larry Sanger once said during an interview with OpIndia to never trust the open-source encyclopedia as it is heavily infiltrated by specific ideologies. OpIndia has covered extensively how Wikipedia not only publishes false information but also removes content that does not suit the ideology of the editors of the portal.
Netizens target Elon Musk for quoting OpIndia
Md Asif Khan, who is famous for publishing fake news, said, “Hello @elonmusk, why are you sharing a video of this propaganda machinery which has a track record of sharing fake news and spreading communal hatred in India?”
Hello @elonmusk , why are you sharing video of this propaganda machinery which has track record of sharing fake news, and spreading communal hatred in India?
— Md Asif Khan (@imMAK02) May 14, 2023
Anti-Hindu and propaganda Twitter handle HindutvaWatchIn wrote, “Twitter’s executive chairman. Elon Musk shares video of a supremacist propaganda website that is at the center of running an elaborate operation to spread anti-Muslim and anti-Christian hate in India.”
Twitter’s executive chairman .@elonmusk shares video of a supremacist propaganda website that is at the center of running an elaborate operation to spread anti-Muslim and anti-Christian hate in India.
— HindutvaWatch (@HindutvaWatchIn) May 14, 2023
Details: https://t.co/V5ECUUzPa5 pic.twitter.com/Ynsz4Cr5Tm
Twitter user imChokli said, “Musk quoting the biggest fake news factory of India just because they sucked up to him once.”
musk quoting the biggest fake news factory of india just because they sucked up to him once. 🤣 https://t.co/bwUDnLDx7u
— Appledore (@imChokli) May 14, 2023
Another Twitter user Sanspareil questioned Musk why he was quoting OpIndia and whined that it is a fake news portal.
@elonmusk Why are you sharing a fake news portal video. 🤮 https://t.co/xu5Jq0bqg3
— Sanspareil (@SansPareilll) May 14, 2023
Twitter user Sachi Mohanty tried to connect to Elon Musk on a bhai-behen level and said, “Elon bhai, OpIndia is so trash that it’s banned on Wikipedia. Now, don’t try to buy Wikipedia as well to unblock OpIndia there.”
Elon bhai, OpIndia is so trash that it's banned on Wikipedia. Now, don't try to buy Wikipedia as well to unblock OpIndia there https://t.co/99jd302Zjl https://t.co/E6RMFmpeUL
— Sachi Mohanty (@sachi_bbsr) May 14, 2023
Twitter user Basheed claimed OpIndia is a propaganda machine.
Hello @elonmusk
— basheed (@basheed) May 14, 2023
, why are you sharing video of this propaganda machinery which has track record of sharing fake news, and spreading communal hatred in India https://t.co/BYqYdPcKXp
Twitter user Ankit Shukla said, “The guy intending to run the “one source of truth on the internet” cannot be bothered to check before sharing an openly evil platform (aka PoopIndia) that LITERALLY copies Goebbels in demonising a community in the world’s largest democracy.” PoopIndia is a derogatory term left-liberal use for OpIndia whenever we debunk their false claims, expose their anti-national activities or publish reports that go against their ideology, which is, well, always!
@elonmusk sharing an OpIndia article.
— Ankit Shukla (@audeamuser) May 14, 2023
The guy intending to run the "one source of truth on internet" cannot be bothered to check before sharing an openly evil platform (aka PoopIndia) that LITERALLY copies Goebbels in demonizing a community in the world's largest democracy. https://t.co/vfe7UCWcwA pic.twitter.com/jUigcnkkbX
Twitter user Faizul Hasan claimed Indian courts had labelled OpIndia as a “spreader of false information”. No court has ever labelled OpIndia as a “spreader of false information” in any judgment. Hasan’s claims are false.
Greetings, Mr. @elonmusk ! On this highly communal channel, don't be too serious. This channel broadcasts false information every day in India.
— Dr. Faizul Hasan (@FaizulHasanKhan) May 14, 2023
He has frequently been labelled a communal channel and a spreader of false information by Indian courts. https://t.co/sSeR14mfWC
Twitter user Kuch_mat_karo claimed the tweet by Musk by intentional as the same video was available on many sources.
Quoting an OpIndia tweet of all those thousands tweets is certainly not a coincidence. https://t.co/XX7R49zpPI
— كن أنت 🇵🇸 (@kuch_mat_karo) May 14, 2023
Twitter user Senthil Venkatrajan called OpIndia a “rightwing propaganda” internet media.
@OpIndia_com is a rightwing propaganda internet media, it doesnt look well if @elonmusk quotes their tweet
— Senthil Venkatrajan (@SenthilVenkt) May 14, 2023
Twitter user mutta_pupsu expressed her anger while replying to a Twitter user Jacob who said Musk shared a video about Tesla (It was about Twitter) and he might not be aware of the organisation. Reply to it, Mutta said, “Stil doesn’t excuse him! With him openly supporting the right, I don’t think he would flinch even if he knows Opindia is a fasc*st organisation.” Jacob was replying to HindutvaWatchIn twitter handle.
Stil doesn't excuse him! With him openly supporting the right, i don't think he would flinch even if he knows opindia is a fac*st organisation.
— jp (@mutta_pupsu) May 14, 2023
Divyanshu Jha urged Musk to ban OpIndia as the news portal is “working for the BJP”. He also urged him to tag OpIndia as “Government funded”.
I must say you should ban this account because the OpIndia is working for the BJP or you should tagged this account as Government funded
— Divyanshu jha (@technicaldivu) May 14, 2023
CNBC falls for a prank by random strangers posing as Twitter employees
On Friday (October 28), American business news channel, CNBC, fell for a prank by random strangers, who posed as Twitter employees and claimed that they were fired by the company’s new owner Elon Musk.
CNBC mistook two strangers for ex-Twitter employees after they were spotted with boxes near the entrance of the company’s headquarters in San Francisco. When quizzed about their ouster, the duo decided to play along.
One of the pranksters identified himself as ‘Rahul Ligma’. “It makes me worry about the future of our democracy… the future of celebrity conservatorship. I mean, when Britney [Spears] happened…” he was heard as saying.
