Social media users are sharing a video of a man ridiculing Pakistan's claims of victory in the recent four-day conflict with India, which was the most serious military crisis between the two neighbouring countries in decades.
The man in the video ridicules Pakistanis for celebrating an apparent 'victory' in the flare-up which saw intense cross-border missile strikes. He states that Pakistan has attained victory, not with regard to technological advances, but with their capacity to tell lies. He further lampoons Pakistan by calling out news agencies and their propensity to spread misinformation. The video is embedded with a caption which reads: "Pakistani influencer exposes Pakistani army and media with brutal satire, reveals ground reality.'
Verified X user Chota Don (@choga_don) posted the viral video, claiming that the man speaking on camera was from Pakistan. This tweet has gathered 10 Lakh views and more than 3,500 re-shares. (Archive)
The same claim was amplified by several other X users. (Archived links: 1, 2, 3, 4)
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The official Instagram handle of the Rajasthan unit of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) also posted the viral video.
Fact Check
We ran a reverse image search on one of the key-frames from the viral video, which led us to this Instagram reel, uploaded by comedian and model, Anil Singh, on May 19. This is the same video that went viral.
By going through his profile, we could discern that the original reel, which featured Singh performing a comic monologue in character, was part of a series of sketches that lampoon political rhetoric in the subcontinent. In this particular video, he plays the character of a Pakistani man.
A link provided in his Instagram bio led us to his YouTube channel, where it is mentioned that Anil Singh is from India.
So, to sum up, an Instagram reel uploaded by an Indian model and content creator by the name of Anil Singh, has gone viral, with users on social media claiming that he is a Pakistani civilian admitting to the deplorable state of affairs in Pakistan.
There is more, and this is where it gets interesting.
Republic TV Ran The Video as Confession of a Pakistani Man
In a blatant case of reporting without any verification, Republic Bharat aired this satirical reel, falsely presenting it as a real confession by a Pakistani civilian.
The clip, originally intended as a comedic skit, was stripped of its context, and repurposed as a confession during a prime-time broadcast, named 'Yeh Bharat ki Baat Hai', on May 23.
The comedian, Anil Singh, posted another Instagram reel on May 24, which showed footage of the Republic Bharat broadcast of May 23, which had been aired at 8:56 PM. The anchor, Syed Suhail, says: "Toh Pakistan yeh jashn isliye mana raha hai ki unke awaam ko bata sake - hum haare nahi hai, jeete hai. Lekin awaam unki sab janti hai. Suniye uni ke zubaani kya keh rahi hai - Pakistan jeeta hai ya haara." (Translation: "Pakistan is celebrating in order to show its people that they didn't lose, but won. However, their people know the truth. Listen to what they themselves are saying - did Pakistan win or lose?")
Alt News was able to locate the timestamp of the episode where the satirical reel was broadcast, but the section has since been edited out (starting at the 3:40 timestamp).
Anil Singh uploaded another Instagram reel on May 26 which called attention to a corrigendum issued by Republic Bharat, on the May 24 broadcast of the same show. The anchor, Syed Suhail, clarifies that the man shown on the Instagram reel was no Pakistani, and asserts that the show had made no insinuation towards the testimony being that of a Pakistani's. This is, however, a false claim. The anchor clearly said what he was going to show was a statement from "पाकिस्तान की अवाम" (the common people of Pakistan).
He then ends by issuing an apology, considering that audiences might have leapt to false ideas about that person's nationality.
प्राइमरी का मास्टर ● इन आशा कार्यकर्ताओं को स्मार्ट फोन के साथ मानदेय में वृद्धि का तोहफा NISHTHA FLN 3.0 : निष्ठा प्रशिक...
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Hello, my name is Ankit Sahu. I'm a 25 year old self-employed Pirate from the Chhindwara.