It is not just the Pakistanis who try to peddle images of Palestinian women as that from Jammu and Kashmir. Indian journalists and politicians have also been found imitating the stunts.
Yesterday, former Aaj Tak and ABP News journalist Punya Prasun Bajpai had posted an image which showed the chapped, rough feet of some children. He added the text, “Mother India ke panv dekhe hain kabhi”? which means, ‘have you ever seen the feet of mother India?
The post was shared on May 6, 2020. However, in his attempt to score browny points over poverty porn, Bajpai forgot to verify when and where the image was from.
As pointed out by Twitter user @theFirstHandle, Bajpai had used an image that was published in a 2018 report by The London Post, in an article titled “Real Face of Pakistani Democracy- Children need a sponsor for medical treatment”.
Image shared by Congress leader too
Not just PP Bajpai, the image seems to have captivated Congress leaders too. Americai V Narayanan, the Congress leader and spokesperson had used the same image last month to insinuate that the poor in India are struggling during the lockdown and the rich are being helped by the government.
After being pointed out by many on Twitter, Bajpai deleted his tweet. However, Congress spokesperson Americai Narayanan is yet to delete his tweet that had used a 2018 image from Pakistan.
Not the first time peddling fake news
Bajpai is famous for his ‘Bahut krantikari’ remark for Arvind Kejriwal. Last year, he had predicted more seats for Congress ally DMK that the Tamil Nadu party was even contesting, and the claim was happily shared by Congress. From peddling fake narratives of EVM hacking to twisting statements to attack the Modi government, Bajpai has been very ‘Kraantikari’ in the world of fake news.
Posting such misleading images is something that political leaders are often caught doing. In 2018, the Aam Aadmi Party had tried to pass off the Erasmus Bridge in Rotterdam as the Signature Bridge in Delhi. Last year, AAP’s Atishi Marlena has posted an image of a foreign sewer treatment plant as that from Okhla, in a failed attempt to mock the Statue of Unity.