A UK-based organisation investigated phoney social media profiles created by people mimicking Sikhs in order to discredit the Indian protest movement and characterise Sikh interests as "extremists."
According to a BBC report citing research from the Centre for Information Resilience (CIR), an Indian-based network of false accounts engaged in promoting Indian nationalism has been discovered.
To promote Hindutva, a dominant form of Hindu nationalism, and Modi-led government narratives, the network deployed profiles across various social media platforms, including Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
According to the research's author and CIR's director of investigation, hundreds of accounts were discovered and have since been suspended. The investigating team employed Twitter API, hashtags, and visualised data to monitor the campaign.
The goal of the propaganda, according to a report quoting the author, was to shift opinions on crucial subjects such as Sikh independence, human rights, and principles, as well as the Khalistan cause.
The identities used profile photographs stolen from celebrities' social media accounts and claimed to be'real Sikhs' and 'proud Indians.' On several social media networks, the profiles were sharing the same content.
Fake social media accounts promoted narratives claiming that "genuine" Sikhs support the Indian government and Indian nationalism, as well as framing independence as "extremism or terrorism."
"An effort to distort perceptions and denigrate the campaign for Sikh independence, portray Sikh political interests as extreme, foment cultural conflicts inside India and worldwide societies, and promote Indian government content," according to the author of the investigation.
The network is also using language to oppose and expose the Khalistani drive for Sikh independence in order to "rescue India."
Phony social media accounts impersonating Sikh influencers used fake photos, hashtags, and even posted similar types of material, and had nearly the same amount of followers as the real ones. Accounts used the hashtags #RealSikhAgainstKhalistanis, #Khalistanis, and #SikhRejectKhalistan.
