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Alleged Fact-Checker Zubair Tries To Buttress Owaisi’s “Jai Palestine” Slogan

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Since yesterday, the internet has been buzzing with hashtags like #102_of_the_constitution and #Jai_Palestine following the incident where Asaduddin Owaisi, leader of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) and Member of Parliament from Hyderabad, raised the slogan “Jai Palestine” while taking oath as Member of Lok Sabha.

Nationalists, social activists, and netizens are protesting against the “Jai Palestine” slogan, perceiving it as a declaration of allegiance to a foreign state. They are referencing articles from the Indian Constitution and have filed complaints seeking to disqualify the MP from his Lok Sabha membership. Radha Mohan Singh, who was presiding over the session, assured members that anything said apart from the oath would not be recorded. Pro-tem Speaker Bhartruhari Mahtab later returned to the Chair and confirmed that only the oath or affirmation was officially recorded.

Meanwhile, sympathizers of the Congress and I.N.D.I alliance have opted to quietly support the MP, aiming to shield him from controversy and ensure his safety.

Self-styled fact-checker Mohammed Zubair took it upon himself to defend the MP, sharing supportive posts and attempting to shape a narrative. He went as far as suggesting that even S Jaishankar, India’s Minister of External Affairs, had previously expressed support for Palestine, showcasing a questionable grasp of political nuances.

In a series of tweets, Zubair initially shared a post of another self-proclaimed journalist from JNU, Aravind Gunasekar, known for spreading misinformation aligned with Dravidian ideology and the DMK, a Congress ally in Tamil Nadu. Gunasekar’s post claimed, “MPs from United Opposition, INDIA oppose “Jai Hindu Rashtra” remarks of a BJP member while taking oath as a MP on the floor of the house in Lok Sabha, stating the same to be against the principles of Constitution of India.” initiating the narratives subtly blaming the opposition and supporting Owaisi.

Zubair quickly shifted focus, suggesting that even S. Jaishankar, India’s Minister of External Affairs, had previously expressed support for Palestine, citing a video where the minister discusses India’s stance on the Israel-Palestine conflict. However, the video he shared does not imply any allegiance to the state; rather, Jaishankar simply expressed the government’s stand. In contrast, in the case of AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi, who raised the slogan “Jai Palestine” during his oath, this action is seen as potentially indicating allegiance to a foreign country.

Zubiar wrote, “To all the Right Wing trolls abusing @asadowaisi for supporting Palestine. Here’s what External affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said about India’s official stance on Palestine and Gaza.”

In the video, Jaishankar stated, “Regarding the Gaza issue and the Palestine issue, because some other members also raised it, we are very clear on Palestine. We support a two-state solution where two states can peacefully coexist side by side. Some members have suggested that our support or empathy for the Palestinians has changed. In fact, our financial support for Palestinian refugee welfare agencies has increased during this government’s tenure. I hope the honorable member will appreciate that.”

In his subsequent post, Zubair attempted to bolster his argument by blaming BJP MPs, but netizens harshly criticized him for his biased support, prompting him to cease. Zubair wrote, “It’s ok if BJP MP Atul Garg did not say “Jai Hind”. But why didn’t Owaisi say “Jai Hind.” However, netizens pointed out, “Atul Garg didn’t say ‘Jai Palestine,’ and Owaisi did say ‘Jai Palestine’… Is he an MP from Gaza? No right.”

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