Fake news: After blocking the Pakistanis’ accounts, India blocks Global Times, too
Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: For spreading fake news, India on Wednesday blocked the X account of China’s official mouthpiece Global Times, shortly after it falsely reported that Pakistan shot down an Indian fighter jet—claims the Indian Embassy in Beijing quickly dismissed as baseless.
India has withheld the X (formerly Twitter) account of Chinese state-run media outlet Global Times, citing legal demands. The media reported that the move aligns with India’s broader clampdown on foreign-originated propaganda targeting its military and national security narrative.
Upon opening the account of Global Times, the following message is displayed — “Account Withheld” @globaltimesnews has been withheld in IN in response to a legal demand”
Earlier on May 8, social media platform X had received executive orders from the Government of India requiring it to block over 8,000 accounts in India, subject to potential penalties including significant fines and imprisonment of the company’s local employees, a statement by the Global Government Affairs said.
The orders include demands to block access in India to accounts belonging to international news organisations and prominent X users.
On May 7, India’s Embassy in China had rebuked Global Times for reporting that Pakistan’s military shot down an Indian fighter jet and advised verifying facts and sources before publishing such reports.
“Dear @globaltimesnews, we would recommend you verify your facts and cross-examine your sources before pushing out this kind of disinformation,” the Embassy of India in Beijing said on X.
India on May 8 had categorically rejected Pakistan’s malicious misinformation campaign, which falsely claimed the destruction of critical Indian military assets and infrastructure.
Addressing a joint press conference by the Ministry of External Affairs and the Ministry of Defence on Operation Sindoor, IAF’s Wing Commander Vyomika Singh highlighted Pakistan’s attempts to spread disinformation about alleged damage caused to the S-400 missile system at Adampur in Punjab, airfields at Suratgarh and Sirsa, the Brahmos space at Nagrota, and the artillery-gun positions in Dehrangyari and Chandigarh, among others.
She emphasised that India unequivocally rejects these false narratives, which are part of a broader strategy to undermine the country’s military capabilities and instil fear among the public.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the Adampur Airbase on Tuesday was a testimony against the propaganda and lies being spread by Pakistan. He addressed the airmen right next to the S-400 which Pakistan claimed had been targeted. “Despite Pakistan’s many efforts, our airbases, or our other defence infrastructure, have not been harmed. And the credit for this goes to all of you, and I am proud of all of you, every soldier deployed on the border, every person associated with this operation deserves credit for this,” the PM said.
Earlier, India banned 16 Pakistani YouTube channels for spreading provocative and communally sensitive content and misinformation against India, its Army and security agencies in the backdrop of the Pahalgam massacre on April 22. The action followed the recommendations of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
Following heightened tensions between India and Pakistan during Operation Sindoor, the accounts of Pakistan Peoples’ Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and former Prime Minister Imran Khan, founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), were also suspended in India.
