Mohammed Zubair, co-founder of Islamo-leftist propaganda rag Alt News, is facing intense criticism for sharing a deepfake video of Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi that falsely depicted him announcing a plan to reduce non-Hindu soldiers by 50% by 2028.

The video, which went viral on social media, lacked any AI watermark or contextual disclaimer, leading to accusations that Zubair deliberately amplified misinformation and incited communal tension.

The incident began when Zubair posted the video on X (formerly Twitter) on November 15, 2025, without any indication that it was AI-generated. The caption, which questioned whether the Army Chief had made such statements, further fueled the perception that the content was authentic.

This omission of critical context and the absence of an AI mark is being seen as a deliberate attempt to exploit the video’s potential to spread misinformation rapidly.

Prominent voices, including Major Gaurav Arya (Retd), have condemned Zubair for what they describe as a “reckless and dangerous” act.

Zubair’s failure to disclose the video’s fabricated nature from the outset was a calculated move to engage his audience and incite discord.

“This is not fact-checking; it’s misinformation with intent,” Arya stated, referencing Zubair’s history of controversies involving his fact-checking methods.

The video’s virality coincided with heightened global concerns about deepfake technology, particularly following recent demands by watchdog groups like Public Citizen for OpenAI to withdraw its AI video app Sora due to safety risks.

Alt News itself, later confirmed the video was a deepfake, but the damage had already been done. The absence of an AI mark or contextual disclaimer allowed the video to spread unchecked, exacerbating the problem of misinformation on social media, where fake news can disseminate faster than accurate information.

On the other hand, Alt News, widely cited among left-leaning circles as a “fact-checking” portal, has not renewed its International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) certification, which expired on 26 April 2020. Despite this, the website continues to present itself as a credible authority on misinformation, publishing content under the banner of “fact verification” while selectively targeting certain issues.

Zubair had recently spread misinformation against Doordarshan News (DD News) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, insinuating that the state broadcaster had advance knowledge of an NDA victory in Bihar.

Zubair, claimed that USAID’s $21 million voter turnout funding was meant for Bangladesh and not India are false, as official U.S. records show the funding was explicitly allocated for voter turnout efforts in India, exposing intentional misinformation.

Zubair is known for his notoriety in weaponizing an edited clip of a news panel discussion of former BJP leader Nupur Sharma. By isolating Sharma’s remarks and amplifying them across social media without the provocative context from other panelists, he single-handedly painted a target on her back for his Islamists gang.

The post Self-Styled ‘Fact-Checker’ Mohammed Zubair Shares Deepfake Video Of Indian Army Chief Without AI Mark Or Context Under The Garb Of ‘Fact-Check’ appeared first on The Commune.

A recent report by The News Minute (TNM) on the shooting of a cow protector near Hyderabad has drawn sharp criticism for its choice of language and apparent bias in framing the incident. The article, shared on X by TNM’s editor Dhanya Rajendran with the caption, “Cattle transporter shoots cow vigilante near Hyderabad, arrested,” has been called out for portraying the accused and the victim in questionable terms that seem to invert the moral framing of the case.

The incident took place in Pocharam, near Hyderabad, on 22 October 2025, when Prashant, also known as Sonu Singh, a member of the Gau Raksha Dal, was shot and injured by Ibrahim, a man allegedly involved in illegal cattle transport.

Their article reads, “According to the Rachakonda Commissioner, Prashant had been in contact with Ibrahim since July 26. He said that Ibrahim had been booked for alleged illegal cattle transports six different times based on complaints from Prashant. “Prashant had notified Ibrahim on many occasions that he was tracking his vehicles transporting cattle from various locations in Andhra Pradesh and other places. But he didn’t file complaints on all of these occasions,” the Commissioner said. “

Yes you read that right – Ibrahim has been booked 6 different times for illegal transport of cattle and yet, TNM’s report and its headline described Prashant as a “cow vigilante” while referring to Ibrahim as a “cattle transporter.”

The article also completely avoided pressing any questions about how a “cattle transporter” had access to a firearm or why an individual with multiple cattle transport cases against him was still operating freely.

Critics argue that this language subtly sanitises the accused while criminalising the victim. The word “vigilante” carries strong pejorative overtones, often associated with mob violence or lawlessness, whereas “cow protector” or “Gau Rakshak” better reflect Prashant’s affiliation with a registered cow protection group. Conversely, the neutral term “cattle transporter” masks the alleged criminality of Ibrahim’s activities, including the six times he was booked for illegal cattle movement – as per their own report.

The police narrative, quoted by TNM, even hinted at a potential extortion angle, saying there was an “unholy understanding” between Ibrahim and Prashant. But nowhere does the article examine the larger issue of how and why Ibrahim was in possession of a gun or whether illegal cattle trade networks are operating with political protection.

Instead, TNM’s visual framing showed BJP leaders visiting the injured Prashant in hospital, followed by emphasis on the Commissioner’s statement that “we also respect cows, but we have to handle the case professionally.” 

The report wants to paint “saffron” all over the issue and give a clean chit to the perpetrator.

This pattern where alleged smugglers or attackers are portrayed as neutral “transporters” while cow protectors are dismissed as “vigilantes” has become increasingly common in certain sections of media reporting. It reflects a mega ideological bias that downplays the growing problem of illegal cattle transport and violence against those who attempt to stop it.

It is noteworthy that the same Dhanya Rajendran has been nominated for Reporters Sans Frontières’ (RSF) “Impact Award” this year – one wonders whether this is the kind of impact her reporting is meant to reflect.

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The post Secular Sanitizing Of Crimes, The News Minute Way: Cattle Smuggler Ibrahim Who Shot Down Gau Rakshak Becomes ‘Cattle Transporter’, Cow Protector Becomes ‘Vigilante’ appeared first on The Commune.

A recent episode of The News Minute’s “South Central” podcast, which positioned itself as a nuanced discussion on Hindutva, instead revealed a deep-seated bias and a troubling reliance on stereotypes from its panelists. The conversation, featuring academic V Geeta and ‘journalists’ Dhanya Rajendran, Anisha Sheth, and Sudipto Mondal, was less an analysis and more an exhibition of the very intellectual laziness and prejudice they claim to oppose.

Sudipto’s Bigotry: “A Bunch Of Not Very Fit Men, Mostly Brahmins”

The most jarring moment came from Sudipto, who dismissively referred to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) as “a bunch of not very fit men who are not storm troopers. They are mostly the Brahmins.” This statement is not analysis; it is pure, unadulterated bigotry. What Sudipto does is –

Casteist Stereotyping: To reduce a vast, 100-year-old organization with millions of members from every stratum of Indian society to a “mostly Brahmin” club is factually false and intellectually dishonest. It resurrects a tired, divisive trope designed to delegitimize a group by framing it as a sectarian project of a single community. Would similar generalizations about the caste composition of any other community or organization be tolerated on a mainstream platform?

Ad Hominem Attacks: Instead of engaging with the RSS’s ideology or activities, Sudipto resorts to mocking the physical fitness of its members. This is the lowest form of argument, an ad hominem attack that reveals a complete lack of substantive critique. It is a tactic used when one has run out of logical points to make.

The Silambam Anecdote: An Unwitting Testimonial For RSS’s Peaceful Nature

Sudipto’s story about carrying a Silambam stick onto the Bangalore metro is perhaps the most profound example of the panel’s lack of self-awareness. He boasts about pretending to be a Sangh Karyakarta to bypass security, implying this shows a “common fear” of the RSS.

Let’s hold this story up to the mirror: What does it actually prove? A man carrying a potential weapon (a stick) was allowed to proceed because he claimed affiliation with an organization known for its discipline and non-violent conduct. The metro security’s assumption was clearly that an RSS volunteer would not misuse the lathi. This anecdote, intended to scare, actually serves as a public testimonial to the RSS’s reputation for peace and order. There are no daily headlines about RSS Swayamsevaks using their lathis as weapons in public unrest. The security’s reaction was based on this observed, historical conduct.

If the commentators on “South Central” wish to be taken seriously as critical voices, they must first hold a mirror to their own prejudices and inconsistent logic. The first step out of their “circular banality” is to abandon bigotry and apply their scrutiny equally, rather than weaponizing it only against their political opponents. The public deserves better than venom; it deserves honest, principled debate.

Previous Instances Of Sudipto Mondal’s Hate Speech

In what can be considered as a Nazi-level hatemongering, Sudipto Mondal made a disturbing remark targeting supporters of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Prime Minister Modi had shared a video of the grand roadshow heled in Bengaluru on his social media platforms. Reacting to this, Sudipto Mondal posted an offensive comment, suggesting that BJP and Modi supporters do not belong to a civilized society and should be subjected to a “re-education programme” once they are “forgiven” — a statement that many found deeply derogatory and reminiscent of extremist rhetoric.

One day we will have to forgive half our population just like Rwanda and Germany did and start a reeducation program for people who we know do not belong in civilized society https://t.co/w8q5oevvhn

— Sudipto Mondal (@mondalsudipto) May 7, 2023

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The post TNM’s Bigot-In-Chief Sudipto Mondal Spews Nazi-Grade Venom Saying “RSS Is Bunch Of Not Very Fit Men, Mostly Brahmins” appeared first on The Commune.

A chilling case has emerged from Viva College in Virar, near Mumbai — one that should have sparked national outrage. Instead, much of India’s mainstream media has chosen to downplay, deflect, or distort the gravity of what really happened.

Mohammed Shahid Khan, a first-year student at the college, and several of his associates were reportedly caught sharing videos of Hindu girls dancing during Navratri celebrations in a private chat group. The videos were accompanied by obscene and hate-filled messages calling for the girls to be “targeted, raped, and assaulted,” and referring to them as “prostitutes.” One of the messages used the term “musalled” — a slang expression referring to trapping non-Muslim girls through deceit or coercion.

As per the First Information Report (FIR), New Viva College has been organising Garba celebrations for over twenty years, attracting not only students but also alumni and local residents. This year’s festivities took place between September 22 and 26. During one of these events, a student allegedly filmed girls participating in the dandiya and uploaded the clips on Discord, where another individual later added obscene remarks.

The issue came to light on September 26, when someone informed the college management during the evening event that a student had shared the videos online. Upon investigation, the administration traced the uploads to a mobile phone and WhatsApp number belonging to one of the students. They also found that a separate account, operated under another student’s name, had been used to post indecent comments on the videos.

The college authorities promptly filed a complaint with the Virar Police, leading to an FIR against the accused. The report noted that the students’ actions had “hurt the sentiments of society and caused distress to the girls concerned.” Police officials said an inquiry is ongoing to identify all those involved and to determine how widely the videos were circulated.

Virar, Maharashtra: ACP Sunil Jayabhave says, “An FIR has been registered in Virar West against a college student for misconduct during a Garba event. The student allegedly recorded inappropriate videos of girls dancing and circulated them via the Discord app. Police identified… pic.twitter.com/o4dVjlUvWa

— IANS (@ians_india) September 30, 2025

This is not just a case of “vulgar videos.” It is a hate crime soaked in religious bigotry, directed explicitly at Hindu women. Yet, the national media seems unable — or unwilling — to state the facts as they are.

Hindustan Times chose to title its report, “Dandiya event in Virar college takes controversial turn” — a bland, misleading framing that makes it sound like a minor disagreement at a festival.

Worse, the report went on to suggest that the communal angle was introduced not by the offenders, but by a BJP leader who “gave the incident a communal tone.”

Can anyone guess from this headline and text of this @htTweets report that the matter is that a male Muslim student of this college has been caught sharing text messages that ‘no Hindu girl at Garba should be left untouched’? pic.twitter.com/OOuFhMrPhh

— Swati Goel Sharma (@swati_gs) October 4, 2025

News18 ran with “Navaratri celebrations at Maharashtra college marred by vulgar videos of girls dancing, probe on.” Once again, the focus was on the videos being “vulgar” — not on the fact that they were shared with violent threats against Hindu women.

What is wrong with these writers?

The actual case is that Mohd Shahid and his co-religionists recorded fellow college girls dancing on Navratri, and shared the videos with messages like – no Hindu girl should be spared and they should all be raped

Now look at the headline pic.twitter.com/gy8L00JlTc

— Swati Goel Sharma (@swati_gs) October 5, 2025

Both reports erase the most important truth: this was not some moral-policing incident or mere college mischief. It was an organised attempt to demean and target Hindu women on religious grounds — a pattern that India’s “secular” media ecosystem refuses to acknowledge whenever the perpetrators don’t fit their preferred narrative.

If the roles were reversed, the same outlets would have declared it a national crisis, with primetime panels on rising communal hatred. But when Hindu girls are dehumanised and threatened, the headlines turn euphemistic, and the perpetrators are hidden behind vague terms like “students” or “youths.”

This selective blindness is not journalism — it’s narrative management. And it has dangerous consequences. When hate crimes are reported as “controversies,” when ideological filters decide whose suffering matters, the public loses trust, and justice gets buried under spin.

The post Mohammed Shahid Khan Shares With His Coreligionists Video Of College Girls Celebrating Navratri, Saying “All Hindu Girls Should Be Raped”; Media Sanitises Culprit And Gaslights appeared first on The Commune.

On August 17, The Hindu published a headline screaming that Indians are losing “trust” in the Election Commission. But what the newspaper deliberately concealed behind its sensationalism was a grossly flawed survey design and methodology that make its sweeping claims completely baseless.

The survey behind the headline wasn’t pan-India. It covered only six states—Assam, West Bengal, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Delhi—with 500 respondents per state. Assam and UP were given equal weightage, despite huge differences in population and demographics. These limitations were hidden in fine print, while the headline loudly claimed a nationwide truth. And the paper expected readers to take it at face value.

Far from a nationwide study, the survey covered only six states—Assam, West Bengal, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Delhi—with a limited sample size of 500 respondents per state. Assam and Uttar Pradesh were bizarrely given equal weight despite their vastly different populations, fatally compromising the results. The paper failed to disclose these critical limitations in its headlines or reporting, misleading millions of readers about the survey’s true scope.

The Hindu also ignored the religious makeup of these states, four of which have significant Muslim populations, a key factor that was nowhere acknowledged or analyzed. It did not question why these six states were chosen or scrutinize the sample design and weighting that remain undisclosed behind closed doors.

Even more damningly, The Hindu deliberately overlooked glaring contradictions in its own sourced data: while over 97% respondents in Assam and West Bengal reportedly have the necessary documentation for voting, 45% still fear “vote cutting.” This disparity was not investigated but instead presented uncritically as unquestioned truth.

On the very day The Hindu published this misleading story, Rahul Gandhi launched his Bihar Yatra with claims of “vote chori” (vote theft), leveraging the badly reported survey to fan political flames. The Hindu’s reckless amplification of the agenda without demanding transparency or verifying facts makes it complicit in spreading misinformation.

By failing its readers in this manner, The Hindu not only betrayed journalistic standards but encouraged distrust in democratic institutions without any credible basis. This is a shameful exhibition of irresponsible journalism, reducing a respected paper to a conveyor belt for unchecked narratives.

The Hindu owes its readers an explanation for why it amplified unverified claims from a flawed survey and chose to ignore critical context that would have told a very different story.

Dilip Mandal has sharply criticized The Hindu for irresponsibly reporting on the Lokniti-CSDS survey that claimed a loss of trust in the Election Commission. He pointed out the paper’s failure to highlight the survey’s limited scope, flawed methodology, and ignored contradictions in the data. Mandal condemned the newspaper for amplifying unverified claims without scrutiny, misleading readers, and fueling political narratives without demanding transparency from the survey agency. His critique highlights a severe lapse in journalistic standards and calls attention to media accountability in the face of politicized data.

Dear Editors of The Hindu,

Say sorry to your readers.

On the morning of August 17, you @the_hindu published survey findings of @LoknitiCSDS with a screaming headline claiming that Indians are losing “trust” in the Election Commission.

This may be a coincidence, but an… pic.twitter.com/ofTKmrnZxV

— Dilip Mandal (@Profdilipmandal) August 23, 2025

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The post How The Hindu Used Lokniti-CSDS Survey With A Misleading Headline To Hand Congress Its ‘Vote Chori’ Narrative appeared first on The Commune.

Alleged actor and virtue-signaler Prakash Raj, made controversial remarks at the Wayanad Literature Festival in Kerala, labeling Prime Minister Narendra Modi as “useless, shameless, heartless, and visionless” during a discussion moderated by Dhanya Rajendran, editor-in-chief of The News Minute.

The Wayanad Literature Festival serves as a gathering point for anti-Hindutva leftist figures from media, politics, academia, and cinema, where they leverage the platform to disseminate propaganda against the BJP, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and engage in familiar political rhetoric. The event was held in December 2024 and the video was uploaded on YouTube in January 2025.

In a discussion related to art and politics, Dhanya Rajendran had mentioned to Prakash Raj “The other day we saw the first family of Indian cinema going to meet the Prime Minister and they also received a lot of ridicule on social media” conveniently forgetting how another section of social media hailed how PM Modi has turned around even those who once opposed him.

During a session at the Wayanad Literature Festival, Dhanya Rajendran recounted a recent parliamentary speech by John Brittas, noting, “This morning I was in conversation with John Brittas who made a speech in Parliament that if Modiji had taken that time to meet the first family, The Kapoor Family, and instead gone to Manipur.” In response, Prakash Raj remarked, “No actors are going to meet an actor there, not the Prime Minister. See, he is a useless, shameless, heartless, visionless man,” as if he had made a compelling argument. As Prakash Raj went on a rant, The News Minute’s Dhanya Rajendran was seen smiling gleefully and nodding as if in agreement.

Prakash Raj further went on to add “Useless he is. Probably if Manipur was in some other country he would’ve visited. Because it is in my country he doesn’t want to visit. Let us be very clear. I am very clear. We have a fellow without vision. We have a leader without vision. Period. Nowadays I’ve decided to (not) acknowledge him only. I don’t want to talk (about) him. Reject him. Neglect him.”

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The post When Alleged ‘Actor’ Prakash Raj Abused PM Modi As “Useless & Shameless” And Leftist ‘Journo’ TNM’s Dhanya Rajendran Smiled Gleefully appeared first on The Commune.

In a development that has shocked many on the leftist side as well as the non-left side of the spectrum, access to leftist news platform The Wire has allegedly been blocked across India following a directive reportedly issued by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) under provisions of the Information Technology Act, 2000. Multiple Internet Service Providers (ISPs) have allegedly confirmed to The Wire that the site is currently inaccessible within Indian territory.

The move comes a day after X (formerly Twitter) revealed that the Indian government had instructed the platform to restrict access to several user accounts and media handles, including Maktoob Media, The Kashmiriyat, and Free Press Kashmir, amid escalating tensions with Pakistan in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack and India’s retaliatory military operation, Operation Sindoor.

In an official statement released on 9 May 2025, The Wire said it had been informed by service providers that the site was blocked as per government orders. On their X handle, they wrote, “Dear Readers of The Wire  In a clear violation of the Constitutional guarantee of freedom of the press, the Government of India has blocked access to http://thewire.in across India. Internet Service Providers say The Wire has been “blocked as per the order of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology under the IT Act, 2000.” We protest this blatant censorship at a critical time for India when sane, truthful, fair and rational voices and sources of news and information are among the biggest assets that India has. We are taking all necessary steps to challenge this arbitrary and inexplicable move. Your support has kept our work going for the past 10 years and we are counting on all of us standing together at this time. We will not be deterred from providing truthful and accurate news to all our readers. Satyamev jayate.

Dear Readers of The Wire

In a clear violation of the Constitutional guarantee of freedom of the press, the Government of India has blocked access to https://t.co/mEOYg6zJMu across India. + pic.twitter.com/K1jRk3Vxpy

— The Wire (@thewire_in) May 9, 2025

The Wire emphasized that it would continue its journalistic work and is actively exploring legal options to challenge the ban. The editorial team reiterated its commitment to delivering “truthful and accurate news” and expressed gratitude to readers for their support over the past decade.

As of now, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has not issued any public clarification or comment on the action.

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The post Leftist Rag ‘The Wire’ Claims Its Website Is Blocked In India Under IT Act Amid India-Pakistan Tensions appeared first on The Commune.

The Hindu once again shared unverified information, falsely reporting that Pakistan successfully struck multiple Indian military targets—when in fact, no targets were hit. This follows a previous incident where the outlet claimed three Indian jets were downed, a narrative quickly amplified by Pakistani and international media before the tweet was deleted.

The social media post published by The Hindu read “Pakistan has hit several military targets in Srinagar, Bhuj, Chandigarh, Uttarlai, Ludhiana, and Falaudi on the intervening night of May 7, 2025 and May 8, 2025, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a press briefing on Thursday.”

However, the media outlet silently deleted after official sources confirmed that it was false. Government of India has clearly said in an official statement that all of Pakistan’s attempts to hit specific places were successfully neutralized by the Integrated Counter-UAS Grid and Air Defence systems.

Earlier on 7 May 2025, The Hindu had claimed that atleast three Indian jets crashed in Jammu and Kashmir sharing pictures which looked like AI-generated.

The report was subsequently deleted after widespread backlash, with users accusing the outlet of disseminating misinformation without proper verification. The deleted post reportedly suggested details that aligned with Pakistan’s attempts to distort the success of India’s counterterrorism efforts.

Concerns have been raised whether The Hindu is deliberately acting at the behest of ISI publishing such reports to push Pakistani propaganda.

The Indian Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has highlighted Pakistan’s disinformation campaign, noting that state-affiliated accounts and media outlets have been circulating fabricated content, such as recycled videos and images, to mislead the public and undermine Operation Sindoor. The Press Information Bureau’s Fact Check unit flagged multiple instances of such propaganda, including false claims of Indian military losses and staged victories by Pakistan.

Many have labelled The Hindu’s actions as irresponsible, accusing the newspaper of failing to uphold journalistic standards by not cross-checking sources before publishing.

While The Hindu had put a half-hearted apology for its May 7 false report, it has not not issued a public statement regarding the deletion of the latest post.

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The post “Pakistan Has Hit”: The Hindu Sounds Like ISI Propaganda Outlet Once Again, Publishes Unverified Claims And Deletes It Later appeared first on The Commune.

In the aftermath of the horrific Pahalgam terror attack where 26 Hindus were brutally murdered by Islamic terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir, a disturbing pattern emerged across Indian media – the deliberate amplification of unverified stories portraying Muslims as victims of Hindu violence. The most egregious example came from The Quint, which published a completely fabricated story about a Muslim employee allegedly killed by Hindu colleagues in Bengaluru for refusing to chant Gayatri Mantra.

A LinkedIn post by one Ishan Saxena, a former employee of CashKaro, claimed that his Muslim friend had been assaulted and killed in Bengaluru by Hindu colleagues for refusing to comment on the Pahalgam incident and for allegedly not chanting the Gayatri Mantra.

The Viral Lie

In his dramatic account posted on 25 April 2025, Saxena described an unnamed Muslim friend supposedly employed at a prominent automobile company in Bengaluru. According to the post, this friend had been brutally assaulted by Hindu colleagues in the office parking lot after refusing to discuss the Pahalgam attack during lunch and declining to chant the Gayatri Mantra. 

This post quickly amassed over 400 likes and was picked up without verification by The Quint, a media outlet that claimed to focus on exposing communal hate crimes.

Ishan Saxena’s fabricated claims were reposted word-for-word by an Islamic Instagram page called ‘The Ummah Insights,’ accompanied by emotionally charged graphics—and by the time of writing, the post had already amassed 1,428 likes.

The Quint’s subheading sensationally read, “An auto company employee allegedly beaten up brutally.“ Journalist Aliza Noor, who authored the story, failed to verify even the most basic facts—no names were disclosed, no FIR or hospital details were cited, and most importantly, no credible police confirmation was provided.

Within a day, Saxena returned to LinkedIn to update that his ‘friend’ had succumbed to his injuries. That was enough to incite outrage, garner sympathy, and feed into a rapidly forming narrative of widespread ‘anti-Muslim’ retaliation.

No Trace Of Victim, No Evidence Of Crime

Despite the sensationalism, not a single local or national media outlet in Karnataka reported the incident. No Kannada newspaper, television channel, or even a digital portal mentioned such an assault in Bengaluru. This glaring omission raised red flags.

OpIndia’s Assistant Editor Dibakar Dutta and several other internet users reached out to Bengaluru police officials, tagging senior officers across zones, asking for clarity. There was no confirmation—only silence. Hours later, Ishan Saxena deleted his LinkedIn post and deactivated his account.

Soon, it was revealed that Saxena had been terminated from CashKaro nearly two months before the incident. The company issued a public statement distancing itself from his claims: “We are aware of certain posts circulating online regarding statements made by Mr. Ishan Saxena (ex-CashKaro employee). We would like to clarify that Ishan Saxena was relieved of his duties at CashKaro on 27th February 2025, and the views expressed in their personal posts do not reflect the values, beliefs, or position of our company in any way. CashKaro remains committed to promoting a respectful, inclusive, and responsible environment—both within our organization and in the communities we serve.”

We are aware of certain posts circulating online regarding statements made by Mr. Ishan Saxena (ex-CashKaro employee).

We would like to clarify that Ishan Saxena was relieved of his duties at CashKaro on 27th February 2025, and the views expressed in their personal posts do not… pic.twitter.com/DHsZMmrt09

— CashKaro.com (@Cashkarocom) April 26, 2025

Meanwhile, The Quint quietly deleted the article without offering an apology, correction, or editorial note—a hallmark of accountability in journalism that it clearly bypassed. Journalist Aliza Noor also deleted her X and Instagram accounts shortly after being exposed for publishing the fake story.

'Journalist' at @TheQuint deletes her X & Instagram account days after being exposed for peddling fake news.

Aliza Noor had published the fake story of 'assault' on a Muslim corporate worker in Bengaluru for not commenting on Pahalgam terror attack & not chanting Gayatri Mantra pic.twitter.com/T6b0Z2VFW9

— Dibakar Dutta (দিবাকর দত্ত) (@dibakardutta_) April 29, 2025

When Asked, Saxena Admits: “I Copied It From Someone Else”

After sustained public pressure, Saxena contacted OpIndia and admitted the entire post was copied from another LinkedIn user—whose identity he claimed not to recall. On being asked about his comment that the ‘friend had died’, he said he saw another user write it and simply repeated the claim.

He also confirmed that Bengaluru police had interrogated him and instructed him to delete the false post and avoid sharing unverified, communally sensitive information in the future.

In a written statement shared with OpIndia, Saxena said, “I am Ishan and I recently made a LinkedIn post regarding a muslim man being attacked by his colleagues. This post was actually a copy of another LinkedIn post mentioning the incident and I had shared it in the haste of feeling bad about what all is happening in our country. I should have fact checked the post which I didn’t and I am hence issuing this apology statement for making the post regarding an incident which I thought to be true but did not fact check.”

At the time of writing, OpIndia report stated that it found no cached or archived post apart from Saxena’s that mentioned this alleged death. The story appears to have been fabricated entirely by Saxena or someone else, amplified uncritically by both social media influencers and legacy media like The Quint.

A Pattern Of Fake Narratives To Obscure Hindu Suffering

The timing of this fabrication wasn’t accidental. It came just days after one of the worst terror attacks in recent memory, where Hindus were religiously profiled, forced to reveal their identities, chant Islamic verses like the Kalma, and even strip to prove they weren’t circumcised—all before being executed. Yet instead of focusing on this heinous attack, social media was flooded with misleading content presenting Muslims as the primary victims.

This playbook has been seen before. From the widely debunked “semen-filled balloons during Holi” hoax to fabricated stories of temple vigilantes, a pattern has emerged where Hindu communities and festivals are targeted with false accusations, often spread by media houses that later refuse to issue apologies when proven wrong.

The Real Victims Ignored, Fake Ones Amplified

While the so-called ‘Bengaluru lynching’ never happened, another real incident did occur in Kolkata around the same time. A pregnant Muslim woman named S* alleged that she was subjected to vile communal remarks by her gynecologist, Dr. Champakali Sarkar, who reportedly told her, “People from your religion are killing people from my religion, you people are murderers.” “Your husband should be killed by Hindus so you can feel the pain.”

The Quint reported this case in the same article, offering it as evidence of communal tensions sparked by the Pahalgam incident. However, Dr. Sarkar refuted the allegations, stating that she had never discriminated against patients and was being bullied by the family. She added that she had apologized nonetheless and that her conversation had been misunderstood.

A police complaint was filed in this case and may take its due course, unlike the Bengaluru hoax which fell apart within 24 hours.

Dangerous Distractions From Real Terror

This is not just about fake news—it’s about manipulating public sentiment during a time of national trauma. At a moment when the country should have stood united in mourning the victims of the Pahalgam massacre and demanding justice, a fabricated story diverted attention and inflamed communal sentiments.

That The Quint and its journalist failed to conduct even elementary checks before running the story is a damning indictment of their editorial standards. Worse, their silence after being exposed shows a lack of integrity.

(With inputs from OpIndia)

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The post How Leftist Rag The Quint Amplified A Fake ‘Muslim Lynching’ To Distract From Pahalgam Hindu Massacre appeared first on The Commune.

The pro-Congress and ultra-biased leftist rag NewsLaundry, always itching to find any opportunity to target the BJP, has once again seized the moment with its infamous show, “News Sense.” Known for shielding Congress-allied governments while relentlessly attacking the BJP, the show features propagandist journalist Manisha Pande, who carefully defends and overlooks the shortcomings of opposition-led states. Ironically, this time, the left-leaning propaganda outlet has decided to scrutinize the Maharashtra government—run by the BJP— over the case of Santosh Deshmukh, a sarpanch from Massajog village in Beed district, who was abducted, brutally beaten, and tortured to death by an unidentified mob.

In a recent 19-minute video, journalist Manisha Pande states, “In 2024, a Sarpanch was brutally murdered in Maharashtra’s Beed district. The victim, Santosh Deshmukh, was tortured and killed. One video showed him half-naked and severely bleeding, while another depicted one of the accused urinating on him. Deshmukh was a BJP supporter, and his murder was linked to a BJP government minister in Maharashtra. NCP leader Dhananjay Munde’s close aide was one of the main accused in this case. Munde was eventually forced to resign, and the Maharashtra opposition seized the moment to attack the BJP government. The opposition parties in Maharashtra demanded action and planned to corner the government in the Vidhan Sabha. But guess what happened next? The media suddenly shifted focus. The news of Deshmukh’s murder was pushed aside, and instead, headlines were dominated by reports on Aurangzeb.”

In the video, Manisha Pande attempted to push the narrative that the BJP-led Maharashtra government deliberately amplified the Aurangzeb controversy to divert attention from the brutal murder of Sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh, which implicated NCP MLA and Minister Dhananjay Munde’s close aide.

The tensions surrounding Aurangzeb’s controversy had already escalated due to calls for the removal of a 17th-century Mughal ruler’s tomb, sparking communal violence and prompting a curfew. Additionally, reports suggested that some individuals had displayed Aurangzeb’s image as their WhatsApp status in solidarity. Thus, the BJP did not manufacture the Aurangzeb issue—it was already a developing situation. Yet, Pande distorted the facts to fit her biased agenda, selling her narrative with sensationalism to mislead her audience.

Even in this video, the hypocritical journalism of the outlet is evident. They even featured ethnic violence in Manipur, calling it inhumane act and government inaction. But when it comes to Congress-allied government ,its a complete silence.

For example, how do you think they have reacted to the political violence in West Bengal, where 48 people were killed and over 400 were injured? If you think they would have called out Mamata Banerjee’s government with the same intensity, you’d be mistaken. Instead of taking the violence seriously, they mocked the situation, portraying it as something normal while subtly shielding the TMC government.

On 15 July 2023, during a Chhota Hafta podcast, Manisha Pande read out, “At least 45 people have been killed in West Bengal since the panchayat polls in the state were announced on June 8th. Incidents of destruction of ballot boxes and intimidation of voters were reported from many areas of the state. Meanwhile, the TMC on Tuesday swept the panchayat polls with the BJP as a distant second. The Kolkata High Court, however, has said that the poll results will be subject to ‘our ultimate order’.”

Immediately after reading this, Pande expressed surprise, questioning, “When did the last time you had heard the court say that?” pushing a narrative suggesting the court was biased in favor of the BJP.

Abhinandan Sekhri, the host, quickly joined in, saying, “Yeah, that was highly unusual.” Another panelist explained that the High Court had been monitoring the situation from the start, which is why paramilitary forces were deployed.

Sekhri, however, had a different agenda—propagating against the BJP. He immediately turned to panelist Monideepa Banerjee with a leading question, “It’s not a unique phenomenon, right? The violence in Bengal polls. Why is that so? Why is this tradition of such violent panchayat polls unique to a few states, and Bengal is one? What makes it such?” His framing of the question subtly shielded the Mamata Banerjee government, making it seem as though such violence was simply part of Bengal’s history, rather than a failure of the ruling TMC.

Even in the promo video, Sekhri showed zero concern for the victims of West Bengal’s violence. Instead, he joked about the situation, saying with laughter, “If someone wanted violence, they would just do it. That’s what Holi was for many people. I think it’s a thesis worth exploring—if someone has enmity with another person, they might just wait for elections. I think that’s a very reasonable and rational theory.”

This blatant display of bias once again proves that the media outlet selectively amplifies incidents based on political convenience, refusing to hold Congress-allied governments accountable while exaggerating issues under BJP rule.

So Newslaundry wants media to hold BJP govt in Maharashtra accountable for murder of sarpanch in Beed

Agree 100%

But don’t forget this old video of Newslaundry folks laughing and making jokes about dozens of political murders in Bengal panchayat polls. pic.twitter.com/f34e2DQIat

— Abhishek (@AbhishBanerj) March 23, 2025

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The post Newslaundry Seems Very Concerned About Sarpanch’s Murder In Maharashtra, Here’s How The Leftist Rag Journos Laughed Off Political Killings In TMC-Ruled Bengal appeared first on The Commune.