Hindutva’s rabid hound journalism: Indian media hits new low in fake news against Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: In its frenzy against Pakistan, the Indian media crossed all bounds of fake and sensational journalism. Far from acting as a watchdog, it behaved more like a rabid hound -- vicious, aggressive and uncontrolled.

In a shocking display of shamelessness, the Indian TV channels crossed all boundaries of journalistic ethics on Thursday. Unleashing a barrage of fake news and manufactured stories targeting Pakistan, they showed as if Pakistan has been reduced to ruins by an Indian attack. Lies were spread without any fear of accountability only to spew their venom against Pakistan.

One AI-generated video falsely showed a statement from a Pakistan Army spokesperson, claiming that three Pakistani fighter jets had been shot down and that one pilot had been captured. Another fabricated story claimed the resignation of Pakistan’s army chief. All such fake stories were aired with complete disregard for verification or responsibility.

There was no distinction between the Barkhas and Goswamis of Indian media. All became unified cheerleaders of propaganda and hysteria against Pakistan. Any saner voice, if it existed, had no space on these frenzied channels.

It was not merely a lapse in reporting, it was a coordinated spectacle of misinformation, distortion, and sensationalism. Headlines screamed with unverified claims, studio anchors dramatised events with theatrical flair, and the social media flooded with concocted narratives. In this madness, facts became casualties, responsible journalism was trampled and cross-border on-going tension between two nuclear neighbours was deliberately fuelled.

Such behaviour is not new for the Indian media particularly when it comes to Pakistan. But the scale and intensity of Thursday’s media storm reached unprecedented levels. Not a single credible source was cited, yet damning fake stories were aired with absolute certainty.

The level of madness was such that they did not even consider their impending embarrassment. While reality on the ground in Pakistan remained calm, the Indian media created a parallel universe of war and destruction. No city was attacked, no naval ships were destroyed, and no Pakistani fighter jet was shot.

While Pakistanis and its media were the onground witness of Indian lies, the people of India on Friday woke up only to discover that whatever their media had told them a day before against Pakistan was completely baseless.

In serving the interests of Modi and Hindutva politics, the Indian media may have pleased its masters -- but in doing so, it deprived itself of whatever credibility it had.