Pahalgam attack and Indian media’s disinformation campaign

On April 22, 2025, a devastating terror attack took place in Pahalgam’s scenic Baisaran meadow in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, killing 26 people, mainly tourists.

Within minutes, mainstream Indian media and social media platforms began loudly blaming Pakistan for the attack — without providing any concrete evidence. This rapid disinformation campaign, amplified through coordinated hashtags and unverified leaks, not only escalated tensions between India and Pakistan but also served a political purpose for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). With Bihar elections scheduled for October/November 2025, the BJP appears to be using this anti-Pakistan narrative to consolidate its voter base in the crucial state.

The Pahalgam attack occurred around 2 p.m. on April 22, when terrorists opened fire on civilians in Baisaran valley. Later, The Resistance Front claimed responsibility for the attack via its official X account. However, even before any formal investigation began, Indian media and affiliated social media accounts rushed to blame Pakistan.

According to Minute Mirror, within five minutes of the attack (by 2:05 p.m.), social media accounts allegedly linked to India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) began posting accusations against Pakistan. Hashtags such as #PakSponsoredTerror began trending within 30 minutes.

Senior BJP leaders, including JP Nadda and Amit Shah, issued statements on X within an hour, reinforcing the anti-Pakistan narrative, which was echoed across major Indian news channels.

Pakistani journalists and users on X highlighted the Indian media’s immediate blame and began suggesting the possibility of a “false flag operation.” One Pakistani journalist pointed out that an Indian account blamed Pakistan just minutes after the incident, indicating possible pre-coordination. On April 28, the Press Information Bureau (PIB) of Pakistan issued a warning, exposing fake tweets and forged Indian Army documents circulated within 15 minutes of the attack by over 500 BJP-affiliated accounts.

Despite these manipulative tactics, international outlets such as Al Jazeera and TRT World noted the absence of credible evidence linking Pakistan to the attack.

The disinformation campaign around the Pahalgam incident highlights systemic issues within Indian media, particularly its alignment with the BJP’s sophisticated digital apparatus. The BJP’s IT Cell, known for its extensive volunteer network and covert advertising strategies, played a key role in spreading unverified and misleading narratives.

A 2019 study cited by The Atlantic revealed that the BJP dominated social media campaigning during the last general election, heavily utilising platforms like WhatsApp and X. Similar tactics were used in this case. Over 500 Indian accounts, mostly linked to BJP supporters and digital volunteers, tweeted nearly identical messages within 15 minutes of the attack, suggesting a pre-planned narrative lacking credible substantiation.

Indian media further inflamed the issue by broadcasting unverified leaks. Some TV channels aired “synchronized false intelligence reports” within one to three hours of the attack, amplified by RSS-affiliated troll groups through mass retweets.

According to the India Today OSINT team, Pakistani social media users responded with counter-hashtags like #IndianFalseFlag. However, the Indian media’s failure to verify claims allowed disinformation to spread unchecked.

AI-generated content also muddied the waters — for example, a video transforming an image of a grieving woman into a dance sequence, which mocked the victims and distorted the tragedy, was circulated widely. India Today confirmed such manipulation.

The World Economic Forum’s 2024 Global Risks Report ranked India as the country most vulnerable to disinformation — a claim clearly evidenced by the Pahalgam case. The absence of a verification culture, combined with the BJP’s history of exploiting emotionally charged hashtags to manipulate public sentiment, resulted in a misrepresentation of the attack’s origins. Meanwhile, the critical security lapse that allowed terrorists to carry out the attack was conveniently overlooked.

The disinformation campaign served a clear political purpose for the BJP, particularly in the context of the upcoming Bihar elections. With 40 Lok Sabha and 16 Rajya Sabha seats, Bihar is a significant electoral battleground. NDA leaders told *India Today* that the BJP aims to win over 225 seats nationwide. The Pahalgam attack provided an opportunity to divert attention from pressing domestic issues such as unemployment and inflation—by rallying voters around nationalism and religion.

While addressing a rally in Madhubani, Bihar, on April 24, Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowed to punish the terrorists “beyond their imagination.” BJP activists protesting outside Pakistan’s High Commission in New Delhi echoed his statement.

The BJP’s current strategy resembles its 2019 response to the Pulwama attack, during which anti-Pakistan rhetoric played a key role in securing electoral gains. Political analysts argue that the Pahalgam narrative is framed to “maximize the core electoral constituency” by projecting the BJP as strong on national security. Even Indian journalists have acknowledged that boosting an anti-Pakistan narrative helps the BJP consolidate its Hindu voter base, which makes up around 80 per cent of Bihar’s electorate — a tactic proven effective in previous elections.

The Pahalgam terror attack has underscored the critical role of Indian media in disseminating disinformation —especially via unverified accusations against Pakistan. The coordinated efforts between the BJP’s IT Cell and mainstream media failed to uphold journalistic standards and fact-based reporting. The BJP has capitalised on the crisis to position itself as a defender of national security, using the tragedy for political mileage in Bihar.

The absence of evidence-based journalism, the blind following of populist narratives, and the cult-like promotion of political elites in India reflect a troubling rise in disinformation. The Indian media’s reckless blame game over the Pahalgam attack not only undermines India-Pakistan relations but also threatens the democratic process by manipulating voter sentiment through fear and misinformation.