BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra (L) and Congress leader Supriya Shrinate.
Credit: PTI photos
New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday accused Indian National Congress of using overseas-based social-media accounts to influence political discourse in India, citing a new location-tracking feature on X.
Addressing a press conference at BJP headquarters, party spokesperson Sambit Patra said these accounts were “operating from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Singapore and the US.”
“Pawan Khera’s account showed up as based in the United States … Maharashtra Congress handle appeared based in Ireland when it was created,” he alleged. “Although now they have changed it to India… Himachal Congress’s account is connected via Thailand Android app.”
He further argued that these location-tags exposed a coordinated effort to “build an anti-India narrative” through foreign-based “influencers” tied to the Congress and its allies.
“Accounts related to several influencers are based abroad. Prateek Sinha: Malaysia, Alt News: United States, the Caravan India: United States. There are several such accounts of Left and Congress influencers whose accounts are based in Pakistan, Bangladesh,” he alleged.
“Rahul Gandhi not only speaks against India abroad … with planning, with design … Influencers from across the world … who are not our voters are trying to set narrative in India,” he further alleged.
On its part, the Congress dismissed the claim. Party leader Supriya Shrinate said the BJP was trying to discredit legitimate questions being raised on issues such as “vote chori, faulty voter list, death of BLOs”. “The BJP’s failures will be called out. It’s time for them to take responsibility. But instead of that, they’re indulging in a futile exercise like exposing X locations,” she said.
However, it must be added that the location data may not be foolproof; accounts can be masked using VPNs or proxies, and location-based labels may show where an account was registered rather than where the user is currently operating from.