Fact-Checker Mohammed Zubair Stands Firm As 3 Arrested Over Alleged Pro-Pakistan Slogans In Vidhan Soudha

Three individuals have been arrested on suspicion of chanting “Pakistan Zindabad” slogans at the Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru on February 27 during the Rajya Sabha elections where Karnataka MLAs were casting their votes. The alleged slogans were raised following Congress Rajya Sabha candidate Nasir Hussain”s victory. The arrested individuals have been identified as Ilthaz from Delhi, Munavar from Bengaluru, and Mohammed Shafi from Haveri, Karnataka. The police asserted that the arrests were made based on a Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) report and other corroborating evidence.

G Parameshwara, the Home Minister of Karnataka, affirmed that the police have been given complete freedom to pursue the case. Meanwhile, BY Vijayendra, the state BJP chief, credited the arrests to the persistent protests by his party both inside and outside the Vidhan Soudha.

However, fact-checker Mohammed Zubair, who had flagged Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar’s claims as fake news, is “100% sure there were no Pro-Pakistan slogans”. Chandrasekhar was among the first ones to claim that pro-Pakistan slogans were raised in the Vidhan Soudha.

In a post on X, Zubair said: “Many want @BlrCityPolice to arrest me for my tweet. But I still stand by my tweets. I am 100% sure there were no Pro-Pakistan slogans, but “Nasir Saab Zindabad”.”

Following Naseer Hussain”s win, a media outlet aired a video clip highlighting the alleged “anti-national” slogans during the celebratory rally. This sparked a political outcry with the BJP accusing the Congress of propagating anti-national sentiments.

In response, the ruling government in Karnataka pledged to take necessary actions after subjecting the video and audio evidence to scientific scrutiny at the Forensic Science Lab.

Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge assured, “Our preliminary analysis, conducted by a private agency, revealed no evidence of pro-Pakistan slogans. We await the FSL report for further clarity.”

Subsequently, multiple audio and video clips were submitted for analysis, with the BJP also commissioning a private agency to scrutinise the material. Their report suggested a high likelihood of “Pakistan Zindabad” slogans being raised.

In his X thread, Zubair alleged a pattern wherein the Right Wing and certain media outlets have consistently levied accusations against political opponents and their followers, claiming the chanting of Pro-Pakistan slogans during celebratory events.

Zubair goes on to explain how the misinformation has been doing rounds in Karnataka and how Congress has been unable to counter them. He said that in January, the BJP and certain media outlets, including a news agency, intensified their criticism of the Congress, branding them as anti-Hindu. This narrative gained traction following allegations that, at the behest of the state government, police personnel removed a Hanuman flag from a flag post in Keragodu village, Mandya. Despite clarifications that the flag post was situated on government property, where only the national and state flags were permitted, the anti-Congress propaganda persisted unabated for over a week.

Then in February, Zubair said, following the budget announcement, BJP leaders and sections of the media targeted the Congress government, accusing them of siphoning funds from Hindu temples to finance non-Hindu religious institutions. This accusation garnered attention for a few days, leaving the Congress in Karnataka at a loss on how to counter the false claims. No legal action was taken against those disseminating misinformation.

After the Endowment Amendment bill, the BJP and certain media outlets propagated the narrative that the Siddaramaiah government imposed a 10% tax, akin to Jaziya, on Hindu temples. However, it was revealed that the amendment was initially introduced during Yeddyurappa”s tenure in 2011. The Akhila Karnataka Archakas Association, in a press conference, voiced support for the bill, emphasising the dire financial straits faced by smaller temples. Despite efforts to clarify the situation, the BJP and certain media outlets persisted in portraying the Congress as anti-Hindu and pro-Muslim. The Congress again failed to effectively counter these falsehoods or take action against those propagating them, he said.