The violent ‘protests’ by factory workers in Noida were a “planned and multi-layered conspiracy” orchestrated with the aid of two Pakistani social media handles. The Uttar Police has made a startling revelation that two Pakistani X handles misused VPN and circulated false claims of deaths in police firing to incite protestors and trigger violence in Noida.
The two X handles, operated from Pakistan for nearly three months under the names Mir Ilyas and Anushi Tiwari.
Addressing a press conference on 16th April, Police Commissioner Lakshmi Singh said that the unrest, which began as a demand for higher wages, was hijacked by external elements. The officer confirmed that the situation has now returned to normal, with workers satisfied by the Uttar Pradesh government’s decisions and are back at their jobs.
“The situation was under control, but two X handles then began circulating disinformation claiming multiple deaths in police firing. “We got it verified and found that the two X handles are being operated from Pakistan. VPN is being misused,” she said.
So far, thirteen FIRs have been registered in connection with the violence, and 62 people have been arrested. Most of those booked were outsiders rather than local workers. Central agencies, including the Intelligence Bureau and Anti-Terrorism Squad, are assisting with the probe into the Pakistan link.
While the Pakistani handles with names fake names, Mir Ilyas and Anushi Tiwari, have gained widespread attention over their role in inciting Noida violence, these two have consistently been pushing anti-India and pro-Pakistan narrative ever since their debut on X. A cursory glance at the X feed of these two Pakistani propaganda accounts shows how they have been operating with the mission of stirring violence and anarchy in India, while also sowing distrust among Indians against the Modi government.
Their X feeds perfectly exemplify how countries like Pakistan weaponise social media to pick issues, exploit faultlines, influence opinions and instigate violence in India. An interesting point about both the fake Pakistani propaganda accounts is that they both are supporters of the Congress party, particularly, Rahul Gandhi. In many of their posts, they subtly push the idea that somehow Rahul Gandhi would be a better Prime Minister than Narendra Modi and that Gandhi alone can “save India”.
In one such post published on 24th March, Anushi Tiwari, who goes by the username @ProudIndianNavi, wrote, “JD Vance and possibly #Iranian President are arriving in #Islamabad, where ceasefire talks will be held in the presence of Asim Munir. BJP aimed to isolate Pakistan, but it has instead become a focal point on the global stage. As an #Indian, I feel a sense of disappointment.”
Besides pushing pro-Pakistan propaganda, the Pakistani X account has also been involved in pushing alarmist disinformation about India’s energy supplies amidst the West Asia crisis.
“Breaking News. India’s Petroleum Ministry has officially announced that only 2 days’ worth of petrol is left in the #India, while oil shipments may take up to 8 days to arrive. The failed govt of Modi has put the lives of 1.5 billion people into difficulty,” Tiwari wrote.
The fake Pakistani account has also peddled blatant fake news, 28 Indian soldiers were killed, along with 12 police personnel, in Manipur after the Indian forces opened fire on civilians.
“Today in Manipur, clashes between the Indian Army & civilians, 28 Indian soldiers were killed, along with 12 police personnel. More than 122 civilians in Manipur have also been killed due to firing by Indian forces. Rahul Gandhi, save my India remove Modi,” Tiwari wrote.
Notably, X posts by this Pakistani account, which incited violence during factory workers’ protests in Noida, are still visible in its timeline. The post claimed that the Uttar Pradesh Police was “killing Indians” in Noida and that the firing left “6 people dead and 67 injured”. The claim was absolutely baseless and peddled with the intention to fuel violence in the BJP-ruled state.
Since the anti-India propagandist is located in Pakistan and only hiding behind the veneer of the ‘South Asia’ location feature on X, it audaciously even tagged the UP Police, apparently to give an impression to the viewers that since the account has confidently tagged UP Police, the claims of protestors being killed in police firing must be true.
“POLICE STOP KILLING INDIANS Today Thousands of people are out on the streets #Noid UttarPradesh.@Uppolice firing has reportedly left 6 people dead and 67 injured Today. Seeing the oppression by the police, people in other states are also taking to the streets,” Tiwari wrote.
The Pakistani propaganda account’s fake news was debunked by the Gautam Buddh Nagar Police on 14th April. “Regarding the demonstration carried out by workers in Noida, certain social media accounts are disseminating completely false and fabricated information claiming that 06 people were killed and 67 others were injured in police firing. This is entirely false. No firing was carried out by the police anywhere. Due to the dissemination of completely false and fabricated information and incitement of individuals, a case has been registered against the concerned parties! Legal proceedings are underway,” the police said.
On 13th April, Tiwari claimed that thousands of “Gen X protestors” had taken to streets in Noida and UP Police opened fire, killing 14 people and leaving 32 injured. It also asserted that only “Congress can save INDIA”.
The Pakistan-based anti-India handle coupled fake news with ‘Congress is a saviour’ narrative, indicating how systematically local Indian issues with potential to snowball into a big crisis are being picked, disinformation is being peddled to incite violence, project it has BJP government’s failure, and push Congress as the natural political alternative. It is almost an unpaid PR exercise for the Congress party by Pakistan.
In another post in furtherance of ‘Modi failed, bring Rahul Gandhi’ and Pakistan faring better than India bogey, the Pakistani account wrote, “MODI FAILURE The entire 12-year Govt of Narendra Modi ended last night. Modi isolated India, while Asim Munir made #Pakistan the leader of Muslim countries and a decision-maker in the Middle East. Rahul Gandhi Gee @RahulGandhi, please save my #India from Modi.”
Tiwari’s timeline is replete with fake news, pro-Pakistan, anti-India propaganda, in addition to reposts of Rahul Gandhi’s posts and pro-Congress trolls.
Similar has been the track record of the second Pakistani X ‘Mir Ilyas’ account named by Uttar Pradesh for inciting violence in Noida. Ilyas is also an open supporter of the Congress party and has the username @Mir_Ilyas_INC. He even claims to be a “Nominated Social Media Coordinator” of the Congress party.
Ilyas’s X feed is also filled with misinformation, anti-India and anti-BJP propaganda, in addition to reposts peddling anti-Hindu narratives.
He was found amplifying alarmist propaganda about the proposed Delimitation exercise. “Same country. Same vote. Unequal value. 14 lakh vs 26 lakh per seat—how is this fair democracy? This isn’t delimitation, it’s manipulation of representation. What BJP tested in Assam & J&K, they’re scaling up nationwide. Raise your voice. Demand equal voting power,” Ilyas posted.
Mir Ilyas had also made similar claims as Anushi Tiwari about the death of protestors during the Noida wage workers protests. The Pakistani X account, using VPN to fake his location as the United Kingdom, wrote, “Noida, UP Reports Gen Z protests allegedly turned violent, with clashes reported and police firing claims emerging.Casualty figures circulating (unverified): 14 dead, 32 injured. The situation remains tense. What’s your take on the ground reality. Where is the BJP? Where is the top leadership ?? #BharataVarsha”
This post was factchecked by Gautam Buddh Nagar Police Commissionerate, which stated that the police did not open fire at any of the protest sites. “Inspired by workers from other states, demonstrations have been held at several places in Noida, and in the case of just one violent demonstration, the police have controlled the situation by using minimum force. The police have not resorted to firing anywhere. No person has died in the said demonstrations. Do not spread rumours or misleading information,” the police said.
350 taken into custody, Pakistan and Naxal angle under investigation: What the authorities said about Noida violence
Protests by factory workers over wage-related demands turned violent in Noida on 13th April, and workers in areas like Phase 2 and Sector 60 were involved in stone pelting, arson, and vandalism. Several vehicles were set on fire, and industrial units were damaged. Most of the violence occurred in Sector 62 and Phase-2, where the accused, armed with clubs, sticks, and belts, ran wild, shattering glass facades of manufacturing units, damaging businesses and setting cars on fire. Witnesses reported that four to five automobiles were burnt outside a service centre in Sector 63, and at least a dozen vehicles, including police cars, were set ablaze.
By evening, over 300 protesters were arrested under preventive provisions for arson and vandalism, while more than 100 were detained for questioning.
The investigation into the matter pointed fingers towards suspected ties ranging from organised disinformation to attempts at unrest supported by Pakistan and even a likely Naxal threat.
Over 350 persons were taken into custody by police in connection with arson and vandalism, and more than 100 more have been held for interrogation. To identify people responsible for the disruption, authorities are also looking through CCTV footage from factories. Multiple WhatsApp groups also came under investigation. The incident resulted in injuries to at least 10 cops and 30 other individuals.
“The incident appears to have been carried out with the intention of disrupting the development and law and order of the state. In recent days, four suspected terrorists have been arrested from Meerut and Noida, whose links were connected to handlers based in Pakistan. In such a situation, the possibility of a conspiracy to create instability in the state gains strength. Agencies are seriously investigating the entire matter,” stated Anil Rajbhar, the labour minister for Uttar Pradesh.
The Minister added that “anti-national forces” wanted to instigate instability in the state and suspected that the chaos might have been planned to interfere with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s program in Muzaffarnagar earlier in the day.
The role of Pakistani propaganda accounts in inciting violence in Noida should raise alarms. Pakistani ISPR bots have been masters of social media disinformation campaigns and regularly circulate AI-generated content, often adding anti-India and defeatist commentary on unrelated videos of Indian Army officials, ministers and other key officials in the context of Pakistan and Operation Sindoor. Besides the wartime disinformation, Pakistani accounts are now monitoring major issues in India that can be used to instigate Indians against the Modi government and incite riots.
OpIndia discussed earlier how the Congress party, the main opposition party in India, has long been itching for a Bangladesh/Nepal-like violent Gen-Z revolution. There is a dangerous game at play. On one side, a pro-Congress Pakistani online propaganda nexus is active, on the other, a political party expresses joy over Noida violence and says that the “country has at least started to stir”. Somehow, their shared disdain for the Modi government is becoming dangerous for India’s national security and stability.
