BJP vs Congress, handles run from ‘Pakistan’ & a reliability catch

BJP vs Congress, handles run from ‘Pakistan’ & a reliability catch

Last Updated: November 28, 2025By

“This is a crucial first step to securing the integrity of the worldwide city sq.,” Bier asserted. “We plan to offer many extra methods for customers to confirm the authenticity of the content material they see on X. And for these in international locations the place speech has penalties, we’ve included privateness toggles to solely present your area.”

Nevertheless, the political row is overlapped by doubts concerning the accuracy and reliability of X’s location knowledge, with a number of customers declaring discrepancies. Many accounts holders alleged to be based mostly exterior of India have reacted saying areas on X could differ when a VPN is used.

As an illustration, when a consumer claimed that comic Kunal Kamra was based mostly out of Singapore as per his location on the account, Kamra responded saying, “Utilizing a VPN you fool,” main the consumer to delete her X put up. Equally, when fact-checking platform Alt Information was known as out for being based mostly within the US, its founder posted that it was due to a VPN connection.

Alt Information founder Mohammed Zubair in the meantime wrote that even the Adani Group may be utilizing VPNs as its accounts had been seen to be positioned in Germany, however linked through the India App Retailer. The situation of those accounts has since been modified to India.

X has cautioned that the placement knowledge is probably not correct. The platform shows this warning each time a consumer clicks on the data icon beside the placement.

Responding to BJP’s allegations, Congress chief Pawan Khera stated the explanation why completely different social media handles seem like positioned in numerous international locations “could also be technical, different, and even innocuous”.

“These embrace social media handles of BJP Gujarat, Doordarshan, AajTak, ABP and so on. However that isn’t the true concern. The actual concern is that this authorities, enabled by a compliant part of the media, has grow to be obsessive about manufacturing conspiracies and whipping up hysteria to maintain the general public distracted,” he advised ThePrint.

Khera was referring to social media customers posting screenshots of BJP Gujarat’s X deal with being based mostly out of Eire. Nevertheless, ThePrint couldn’t independently confirm this as a result of the account’s present location is India.


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‘You’re from Pakistan’

The brand new characteristic has seen on-line detectives crack their knuckles and find many proverbial needles within the social media platform haystack up to now few days. 

As an illustration, one of many first accounts that was flagged belonged to 1 Diya Sharma (@DiyaSharma_10), whose bio learn, ‘Chalegi jhadu udhegi dhool na rahega panja, na rahega phool (The broom will sweep, the mud will rise—neither the hand nor the lotus will stay). Anti RSS mera bharat mahan bharat mata ki jai‘. The situation of the account was proven to be Pakistan, in response to screenshots of the account shared by customers on the social media platform.

The account has since been suspended, with a observe studying, “X suspends accounts which violate the X Guidelines.”

One other account by the title of Dr Prisha Sargam (@PrishaSargam) initially confirmed, purportedly, that it was based mostly in Pakistan, in response to customers’ screenshots. The account has an image of a girl, who is outwardly a physician. The latest posts are towards caste-based prejudice and Hindi imposition, particularly within the South.

One of many posts has a viral video of psephologist Yogendra Yadav, with the caption: “As Indians, we should acknowledge the caste-based prejudice that also exists towards SC and OBC communities. However in comparison with the cow-belt, the social setting and illustration in South India are far more healthy.”

One such put up appreciating the Indian Air Pressure band enjoying a Kannada tune was reposted by one other consumer, saying, “You’re from Pakistan. Sit down.” Nevertheless, the account now reveals it’s based mostly in South Asia.

One other account, @Tractor2twitr_P, reveals Ludhiana as location on the profile, however the ‘About this account’ characteristic says it’s based mostly in Australasia. The account usually centres its posts on Sikhism, Punjab and farmers’ issues. It has slammed the Modi authorities over the farm legal guidelines a number of instances, usually posting in Punjabi.

One other account in focus is @heistprofessor_, usually posting in Punjabi and amplifying Sikh points. It has these days been posted about Centre’s now-revoked choice to restructure Panjab College’s governing our bodies, the Senate and Syndicate. Whereas the Ministry of Schooling has withdrawn its notification, college students are persevering with with the agitation, searching for the announcement of a schedule for the Senate elections. Amplifying their voices, the account has been posting with the hashtag—#SavePUFromCentre.

Equally, the second @PriaINC questioned if Ayodhya MP was not invited for the hoisting of flag on the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple as a result of he’s a Dalit, X customers identified that the account was based mostly in South Asia linked by a ‘Europe App Retailer’.

Some customers identified that the Maharashtra Congress’s official account (@INCMaharashtra) confirmed it was based mostly out of Eire. Nevertheless, it additionally stated that it’s linked by the India App Retailer. The situation has now modified to India.

‘I used to be employed by not simply Congress however different events’

Widespread X account @HPhobiaWatch posted a screenshot of 1 Yashita Nagpal’s (@YashitaNag66252) profile, claiming, “Congress is hiring so many Pakistanis as a result of they will’t discover single Indians to assist them even with cash.” Its location reveals the account is predicated in Pakistan.

@YashitaNag66252 responded that she was employed not simply by Congress however different political events in India as effectively to be part of their marketing campaign just a few months again.

Whereas Indians have been fretting over international customers commenting on points that concern India, Pakistani media has claimed that a number of Indian accounts had been discovered to be impersonating Israeli and Baloch nationals, and had been posting criticism of Pakistan and its insurance policies.

As an illustration, it was identified that former Pakistan cricketer Danish Kaneria’s account was based mostly out of India, whereas his web page says that it’s from Pakistan. He usually posts about Indian politics and appreciation for the Indian authorities. 

Not simply Indians and Pakistanis, Individuals have additionally found that a number of outstanding accounts propagating the ‘Make America Nice Once more’ (MAGA) motion on X are literally based mostly exterior the US, in response to X’s location characteristic.

Apart from political commentary, customers have additionally posted screenshots of honeytrap accounts working out of Pakistan.

Nevertheless, a number of of those accounts have since modified their location to “South Asia”, as an alternative of displaying the nation they belong to.


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‘Conspiracy towards India’

BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya was fast to level out an “fascinating sample” within the location knowledge. “Numerous pro-Congress, anti-Hindu, and divisive caste-based handles will not be even working from India. Many are being run from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and different elements of Asia and the world. Virtually all of them have modified their usernames a number of instances to masks their id,” he wrote on X.

This “conspiracy towards India”, he stated, was now uncovered.

BJP chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar appreciated the brand new X characteristic, saying “one of many gravest misuse of social media platforms is State sponsored misinformation operations”.

“To defeat this isn’t simple and is a battle by most democratic govts. As Minister I struggled to handle this within the face of Pakistan and Chinese language misinformation campaigns mounted utilizing so-called Indian handles,” he wrote, asserting that this step by X has dented focused misuse and fraud operations “undermining democracies”.

In response to BJP’s tirade towards pro-Congress accounts allegedly based mostly exterior India, Congress’s Pawan Khera stated, “It’s a authorities that can’t clear up issues and has no intention of even making an attempt. So naturally they would favor to maintain the nation busy with manufactured outrage.”

He added: “In the event that they don’t maintain individuals & media busy with these concocted controversies, the general public will ask actual questions concerning the pressing crises dealing with the nation. Just like the poisonous, unbreathable air in cities like Delhi and Mumbai, the unforgivable rise in farmer suicides, the persistent violence towards minorities, Dalit, tribal communities, the epidemic of rapes and the collapse of girls’s security, and the large-scale, irreversible plunder of our surroundings.”

Nevertheless, it doesn’t seem like all black and white, close to accounts being known as out for purportedly being based mostly exterior India.

How correct is the placement?

X has cautioned that the placement knowledge is probably not correct. Clicking on the exclamation mark beside the placement data reveals a pop-up field, which reads, “The nation or area that an account is predicated could be impacted by latest journey or short-term relocation. This knowledge is probably not correct and might change periodically.”

Moreover, the platform provides customers an choice to both show their area or the nation.

A number of accounts initially known as out for being allegedly positioned in Pakistan or neighbouring international locations have since modified their location data to “South Asia”. 

As an illustration, whereas older screenshots of @PrishaSargam’s account present Pakistan because the account’s location, the present one displayed says it’s based mostly in South Asia. This variation didn’t go unnoticed.

Journalist and writer Vikram Chandra tagged Bier and Elon Musk in a put up on X, urging them to rethink the choice for individuals to pick “continent”, as an alternative of particular nation.

“As you possibly can see, scores of accounts that had been spreading anti-Indian hate bought recognized as Pakistani accounts – after which shortly modified their setting to ‘South Asia’. This defeats the aim of the entire train,” he wrote.

(Edited by Mannat Chugh)


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