LONDON: The Centre for Information Resilience (CIR) has exposed a network of fake profiles of Sikh influencers created to target the farmer protests in India as well as the Khalistan movement.The CIR report — titled ‘Analysis of the #RealSikh Influence Operation’ — identified a core network of fake accounts that targeted “other accounts supportive of Indian nationalism in order to spread and amplify the content and narratives generated by the core network”.The report exposes a coordinated influence operation that uses fake personas on multiple social media platforms to promote narratives arguing that “real” Sikhs support the Indian government and Indian nationalism, and that advocates of Sikh autonomy and independence are extremist or terrorist.
Some of the fake network’s messaging included statements calling for action such as Indian “Nationalists shouldn’t remain watching silently” and that they “need to counter and expose them [the Khalistani movement for Sikh independence]” to “save India” from “Pakistan, Canada, UK, and US”.All these accounts used repetitive hashtags such as #RealSikhAgainstKhalistanis #Khalistanis #SikhRejectKhalistan.
“The network increased its activity since the commencement of the farmers’ protests in India. Both the farmers’ protests and the Khalistan independence movement have been the two most frequently targeted subjects of the core network of fake accounts,” the report stated.The content produced by these accounts was also endorsed by various verified accounts who worked with these accounts, suggesting that there was a coordinated govt backed activity.
Also Read: India Urges China to Open Borders for Indian Travelers
