A US-based organisation, “Hindus for Human Rights” has created a controversial toolkit intending to spread negative information about Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a state visit to the United States. This toolkit, which is openly accessible on the organisation’s website, forms a part of their campaign against Modi and is titled “Modi Protest Toolkit.” As expected, this organisation is proudly promoting this document, which appears to contain propaganda material.
Upon having a closer look at the document, it can be seen that it provides details about the upcoming state visit on 22 June 2023.
The document accuses Prime Minister Modi of consolidating power for himself and encourages people to engage in protests while ensuring their own safety. The document states, “With the potential protests in DC and New York City, it is important to exercise our first amendment rights, and do so safely. Here is a protest toolkit for all your protest needs.”
The toolkit emphasized the importance of protesters being well-informed about the “cause” or issue they were protesting for and being prepared accordingly. This may be attributed to the observation that in many protests, individuals who have little knowledge about the purpose of the protest often end up being prominently featured in media coverage. However, it is worth noting that the concerns raised by Hindus for Human Rights (HfHR) and other organizations lack substantive evidence or support on the ground.
Interestingly, the document provided guidelines that suggested disabling biometric features on devices as a means to safeguard privacy. It also advised against sharing identifying information with fellow protesters. The actual content of the toolkit followed the introductory guidelines and provided pre-drafted tweet formats intended to target both President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The document included several examples of these tweets, such as:
1. “Dear @POTUS, as you meet with PM Modi, we urge you to prioritize human rights and democracy. Stand up for the people of India and ensure accountability for any authoritarian actions. #BidenHoldModiAccountable #HumanRightsMatter”
2. “As President Biden meets PM Modi, we must not forget the importance of holding leaders accountable. Democracy is under threat, and it’s time to speak up. We demand transparency, justice, and respect for human rights. #AccountabilityNow #IndiaVisit”
3. “The erosion of democracy is alarming. It’s time to speak up against authoritarianism in India. We stand against any restrictions on free speech, press freedom, and minority rights. #DefendDemocracy #ModiAuthoritarianism”
4. “As citizens, we have the right to question those in power. We demand transparency, accountability, and respect for human rights in India. Let’s unite to protect our democratic values. #IndiaAgainstAuthoritarianism #StandAgainstModi”
The document also provided a list of hashtags to be used in tweets directed at President Biden, including #BidenHoldModiAccountable, #HumanRightsMatter, #AccountabilityNow, #IndiaVisit, #DefendDemocracy, #ModiAccountability, #BidenSpeakUp, and #HoldModiAccountable.
The hashtags recommended for tweets directed at PM Modi were #DefendDemocracy, #ModiAuthoritarianism, #IndiaAgainstAuthoritarianism, #StandAgainstModi, #ProtectDemocracy, #NoToAuthoritarianism, #StandUpForDemocracy, #ModiAuthoritarianMoves, and #IndiaDeservesBetter.
Additionally, the document provided suggested the below chants for protesters to vocalize, including:
The document also had posters such as the ones below to be shared on social media.
Rahul Gandhi recently went on a 10-day tour of the United States, during which he delivered speeches at prominent venues such as the National Press Club and Stanford University. He also engaged in discussions with various “think tanks” regarding the relationship between India and the United States. These images were shared on Twitter that show Rahul Gandhi engaged in deep conversations with these think tanks. One of the notable people he met includes, Sunita Vishwanath, co-founder of “Hindus for Human Rights,” who was seated alongside Rahul Gandhi during an event at the Hudson Institute.
It appears that the organization has been actively preparing to oppose Prime Minister Modi’s visit for some time. In a tweet on 5 June 2023, they expressed disappointment with Senators Schumer and Speaker McCarthy inviting Modi to a Joint Meeting of Congress. They stated, “Extremely disappointed to see Sen Schumer Speaker McCarthy invite Modi to a Joint Meeting of Congress. The friendship between the US and India has long been bound by shared values of secular democracy and freedom. In India, those values are dissolving before our very eyes.”
Extremely disappointed to see @SenSchumer @SpeakerMcCarthy invite Modi to a Joint Meeting of Congress. The friendship between the US and India has long been bound by shared values of secular democracy and freedom. In India, those values are dissolving before our very eyes. pic.twitter.com/9fIWYsEqDf
— Hindus for Human Rights (@Hindus4HR) June 5, 2023
According to Disinfo Lab, an OSINT that specialises in investigating information warfare and psychological warfare, an investigation revealed that “Hindus for Human Rights (HfHR)” had been promoting a misleading narrative of “Hindu vs. Hindutva.” Just to jog our readers’ memory, this same organisation had endorsed the “Dismantling Global Hindutva” event.
According to Disinfo Lab, HfHR was established in 2019 by two Islamist advocacy groups known as the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) and the Organization for Minorities of India (OFMI). Interestingly, these three organizations formed another entity called the Alliance for Justice and Accountability (AJA).
As reported by The Hindu, the Alliance for Justice and Accountability had been at the forefront of leading demonstrations against Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Houston on September 22, 2019.
Disinfo Lab also revealed that Sunita Vishwanath, the co-founder of Hindus for Human Rights, is also associated with an organization called “Women for Afghan Women,” which receives funding from the Soros Open Society Foundation.
Just wow!! Sunita Vishwanath, a Soros proxy, who works for one of the most anti-India orgs in the US that co-hosts events with radical orgs like ICNA and CAIR is part of @RahulGandhi’s inner circle.
Is he just ignorant or is the future of India this bleak that the leader of the… pic.twitter.com/xH6VRJDX4F— HinduACTion (@HinduACT) June 1, 2023
It is noteworthy that Sunita Vishwanath, pictured alongside Rahul Gandhi, had attempted to create fear and panic among Indian Muslims regarding the National Register of Citizens (NRC). She stated, “We are especially appalled by the most recent nightmare of the Kashmiri people and the situation of 1.9 million people in India who are rendered stateless due to the imposition of the travesty called the National Register of Citizens.” It is important to note that even during Rahul Gandhi’s USA trip, he endorsed dangerous falsehoods and propaganda against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and NRC, which led to anti-Hindu riots in India in 2020. In the recent US trip, Rahul Gandhi met with people at events arranged by co-ordinators associated with Pak Jamaat-e-Islami & Muslim Brotherhood-linked fronts.
The event (June 4) in New York is coordinated, among others, by Tanzeem Ansari, who is the Amir Outreach Committee of Muslim Community of New Jersey (MCNJ). MCNJ is led by a Pakistan-born Imaam Jawad Ahmed, Project Director of Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA).
(2/10) pic.twitter.com/f19jDtK8qe
— DisInfo Lab (@DisinfoLab) May 30, 2023
Our readers will remember that Sunita Vishwanath, the co-founder of HfHR, also has close connections with George Soros and the Islamist-linked IAMC.
(With inputs from OPINDIA)
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