Hours after the Congress won the Karnataka Vidhan Sabha elections, a video of a mob of party supporters allegedly shouting ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ went viral on social media.
The video is said to have been recorded in the Belagavi Uttar Assembly constituency, following the victory of Congress candidate Asif Sait. A copy of the contentious footage was posted on Twitter by popular user ‘Befitting Facts.’ The archive of his tweet can be accessed here.
In the 27-second-long video, a group of men in skull caps was allegedly heard yelling ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ in the presence of the police. Soon after, the usual suspects began disputing the allegations and claimed that the frenzied mob was shouting praises in the name of ‘Asif Sait’ and not Pakistan.
Some people are saying that they are shouting "Asif Sait Zindabad" but Asif Sait is more famous as Raju Sait.
— Facts (@BefittingFacts) May 13, 2023
Also you can hear from 0:08 in background police saying "video banao video banao, pakistan zindabad bol rahe" https://t.co/NTs8oNIjrr
‘Befitting Facts’ rubbished those claims and tweeted, “Some people are saying that they are shouting “Asif Sait Zindabad” but Asif Sait is more famous as Raju Sait. Also you can hear from 0:08 in background police saying “video banao video banao, pakistan zindabad bol rahe.”
Propaganda Twitter handle ‘Drunk Journalist’ even went on to post two variants of slogans, which he claimed were raised by the group of Congress party supporters – ‘Asif Sait Zindabad’ and ‘Raju Sait Zindabad.’
Arey pahle decide karlo achhe se sab milke ki kya bolna hai @drunkJournalist pic.twitter.com/PyNiwimfQe
— BALA (@erbmjha) May 13, 2023
Meanwhile, dubious ‘fact-checker’ Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear), who often comes in support of Islamists and those who are patently against the interests of India, courted controversy by ‘quote tweeting’ a video by a user ‘total_woke’ and claiming that the police personnel were asking the mob to not speak against another candidate.
“Lol. The police here says not to speak against other candidate and raise slogans only if your candidate arrives,” he responded to the tweet. Soon after, ‘total_woke’ deleted his tweet.
In the meantime, a report from the Kannada newspaper ‘Prajavani’ emerged. As per the report, the local police acknowledged the allegations about the chanting of pro-Pakistan slogans by a mob of people.
“You intentionally quoted wrong video. Anyway, here is the police statement on the matter,” he tweeted.
Zubair, who had earlier tried to suggest that there was no evidence of contentious sloganeering, was quick to do a u-turn to try and mitigate the blatant unverified news that he was attempting to spread in order to defend Islamists who had potentially raised pro-Pakistan slogans.
“I spoke to Police Inspector Mr Dayanand from Belagavi, He says, They have not concluded if the slogans raised were “Pakistan Zindabad” OR “Asif (Raju) Sait Zindabad”. They are sending the viral video to FLS for further investigation,” he tweeted. The archive of the said tweet can be accessed here.
I spoke to Police Inspector Mr. Dayanand from Belagavi, He says, They have not concluded if the slogans raised were "Pakistan Zindabad" OR "Asif (Raju) Sait Zindabad". They are sending the viral video to FLS for further investigation. https://t.co/LZOCxouhYB
— Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear) May 13, 2023
It almost seems like Zubair knew his assertions had been busted, however, to save face, he claimed that he spoke to Inspector Dayanand for Belagavi, who said that they had not confirmed yet whether the slogans were Pakistan Zindabad or Asif Sait Zindabad. He thus created confusion in an attempt to shield the Islamists.
As per a report by India TV, a case has been registered against the accused under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Section 153 (Wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot).
बेलगावी में कांग्रेस की जीत के जश्न के दौरान लगे पाकिस्तान जिंदाबाद के नारे, एफआईआर दर्ज#KarnatakaElectionResults2023 #Congress #KarnatakaResults pic.twitter.com/Za5Kg5mqIz
— India TV (@indiatvnews) May 13, 2023
The development was confirmed by the Additional Director General of Police (Law & Order) on Twitter. He said, “Case is registered and needful action is being taken.”
Case is registered and needful action is being taken https://t.co/qkV7MRwofy
— alok kumar (@alokkumar6994) May 14, 2023
It is pertinent to note that while Mohammed Zubair initially did not even acknowledge the allegations of ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ slogans, he later claimed that the police are investigating the matter and have not reached any conclusion. He also added that the video footage was sent for forensic probe.
The glaring hypocrisy of AltNews and their mandate to save Islamists becomes evident when we look at one more case where pro-Pakistan slogans were raised and AltNews, as usual, had come to the defence of the Islamists. The Islamist they defended incidentally belonged to PFI – a now banned terrorist organisation which was planning the genocide of Hindus and turning India into an Islamic State where Sharia would apply – something ISIS did remarkably well.
Notably, Pakistan Zindabad slogans were raised at a rally which was held on February 7, 2021, in support of Nathulal Rao, who won the election from Ward 57 on the SDPI, the PFI’s political wing. Abdul Salam Ansari, former PFI district president, led the rally. The rally participants were clearly visible raising slogans in support of Pakistan in the viral video.
Abdul Salam, the former district president of the banned Islamist outfit Popular Front of India (PFI) was also arrested by Bhilwara Police for raising ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ slogans in the rally.
However, AltNews had given PFI a clean chit not only before the investigation was conducted but also after the fact.
When the video had gone viral on social media, Mohammad Zubair and AltNews had claimed that Pakistan Zindabad slogans were not raised in the rally, in fact, the slogan that was raised was SDPI Zindabad. That tweet by Mohammad Zubair is still on his Twitter timeline.
Dainik Bhakar and ABP Live revived a video from Feb 2021 and falsely reported that 'Pakistan Zindabad' slogan was raised in Rajasthan's Bhilwara. The actual chant was 'SDPI Zindabad'. The video was shot after local election. #AltNewsFactCheck | @ArchitMetahttps://t.co/cQGDUtnSfv
— Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear) May 19, 2022
In fact, the AltNews “fact-check” saving PFI is also still published on the website.
After the PFI terrorist was arrested, the police had issued a statement that the video had been sent for forensic analysis and that the analysis had confirmed that Pakistan slogans were indeed raised. It was on that basis that the PFI terrorist was arrested.
Nandlal Rinwa, in charge of the Subhash Nagar police station, stated that on May 15, 2022, Nemichand’s son Babulal Khatik, a Sanganer resident, filed a complaint in this regard, and the video was sent for forensic examination. According to the forensic report, shouts of Pakistan Zindabad were heard during the rally. Rinwa stated that Abdul Salam has been detained and that he is being questioned about other people who were present at the march, and that appropriate action was being taken.
Eventhough the police confirmed the slogans based on a forensic report, AltNews’ Pratik Sinha refused to accept it.
Forensic report, if any, in this case is faulty if it claims that 'Pakistan Zindabad' slogans were raised. It can be clearly heard that the slogan raised was 'SDPI Zindabad'. An innocent man is being jailed and those who call themselves journalists are on the side of injustice.++ https://t.co/FVDuX9cZPD
— Pratik Sinha (@free_thinker) November 23, 2022
It is interesting that when forensic reports confirm Pakistan Zindabad slogans, AltNews refused to believe the reports, however, when the current video went viral on the internet today of the same slogans after the 2023 Karnataka Congress victory, the same Mohammad Zubair who had shielded PFI earlier, wanted to wait for the forensic report to confirm if the slogans were indeed raised.
In the meantime, the FIR copy of the case has also emerged which clearly states that Pakistan Zindabad slogans were indeed raised in the recent Congress celebration.
Pertinently, Mr Dayananda G. Shegunasi, Police Inspector Tilakwadi, Belgaum City said “When the Congress candidates from Belagavi district took the lead, Muslim boys there shouted slogans like “Zindabad Zindabad Pakistan Zindabad”. The FIR also says that provocative slogans were raised during the Congress rally.
Here is the FIR copy of the incident where miscreants shouted provocative slogans.
— BALA (@erbmjha) May 14, 2023
Mr. Dayananda G. Shegunasi, Police Inspector Tilakwadi, Belgaum City said “When the Congress candidates from Belagavi district took the lead, Muslim boys there shouted slogans like "Zindabad… pic.twitter.com/wfLfaXwkN2
While the investigation remains inconclusive, the usual suspects have already claimed that the accusations surrounding the raising of pro-Pakistani slogans are false. The conduct of Mohammad Zubair points to the fact that he and AltNews are more than happy to shield Islamists no matter what mental gymnastics they have to go through. In the 2022 case, they claimed that the slogans were SDPI Zindabad and even disregarded the forensic report (and subsequent arrest). In this case, they jumped to unleash an Islamist mob asking for FIRs against those sharing the video even though an FIR has been registered in the case. He then wanted to wait for a forensic report because, in this case, it suited the narrative, whereas he had dismissed a forensic report confirming Pakistan Zindabad slogans only a year earlier.
Nupur Sharma controversy, Alt News and Mohammad Zubair’s role
On May 26, former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma took part in a debate on Times Now about the Gyanvapi disputed structure case, where the other panellist from the Muslim community repeatedly insulted Bhagwan Shiv. Sharma responded by narrating what is written in Islamic holy scriptures about Prophet Muhammad. What she said has been widely quoted by Islamic scholars, including hate preacher Zakir Naik.
Mohammad Zubair, the co-founder of the so-called fact-checking website AltNews, used a cleverly trimmed video clip of the debate to target Nupur Sharma. He tweeted shortly after the debate, “Prime Time debates in India have become a platform to encourage hate mongers to speak ill of other religions.” Navika Kumar, the anchor of Times Now, is encouraging a rabid communal hatemonger and a BJP spokesperson to say things that can incite riots. Shame on you, Vineet Jain.”
It was after Mohammad Zubair shared the edited video clips of the debate that sparked outrage against Nupur Sharma and anti-India campaigns emanating from Islamic countries like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Pakistan. Multiple Islamic leaders and organisations made death and beheading threats to Nupur Sharma. Riots erupted in several parts of the country. On 10th June 2022, Islamist mobs led to riots in many areas after the Friday Namaz. Muslim mob raised hateful slogans against Nupur Sharma, vandalized public property, and even attacked police and citizens. In Uttar Pradesh’s Saharanpur, Prayagraj, and other districts several incidents of stone pelting and vandalism were reported. While the names of the places changed the pattern of ‘protests’ remained the same.
In June, a Hindu tailor Kanhaiyalal was beheaded in Rajasthan’s Udaipur by two Islamist terrorists for supporting Nupur Sharma. ‘Sar tan se juda’ became the new ‘normal’ response to anyone opposing the Islamist ideology.
Md Zubair and the platform Alt News have been at the forefront of spreading deliberate fake news and misleading information, especially of a communally sensitive nature, on social media and also work as an Islamic propaganda channel under the garb of fact check.
