Defence analysts and media watchdogs have strongly criticized what they describe as India’s “orchestrated propaganda campaign” following the recent attack in Pahalgam, a popular summer resort approximately 90 kilometers from Srinagar. The assault, which tragically resulted in the deaths of at least 24 individuals, has reignited tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad.
Almost immediately after the incident, Indian mainstream media and pro-government digital accounts began accusing Pakistan of involvement. According to monitoring groups, hashtags like #PakSponsoredTerror began trending on X (formerly Twitter) within minutes of the attack. These trends were reportedly driven by coordinated accounts, some of which are suspected to be linked to India’s intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).
Key BJP leaders, including JP Nadda and Home Minister Amit Shah, amplified these claims within an hour. Numerous suspicious “Kashmiri” profiles and military-aligned influencers, such as the well-known ‘Major Govinda’, echoed similar narratives without citing verifiable evidence.
A detailed timeline reveals a strikingly scripted response. By 3:05 PM, accounts allegedly linked to RAW had begun blaming Pakistan. By 3:30 PM, BJP officials and hundreds of synchronized accounts had published nearly identical tweets. Within the hour, unverified “intelligence reports” appeared online and were quickly spread by RSS-affiliated digital activists.
Analysts have also pointed to inconsistencies in the official version of events. No authentic video footage of the supposed 27 victims has been made public only a single image of a woman beside a covered body was widely circulated. Moreover, the site of the attack is situated 400 kilometres from the Line of Control (LoC), raising questions about how such an operation could occur undetected in a region patrolled by approximately 900,000 Indian troops.
Experts also highlighted the suspicious timing of the attack and the rapid online response. Many questioned whether the narrative had been pre-planned, noting that similar patterns have been observed in past incidents particularly those coinciding with sensitive diplomatic events or periods of domestic political unrest in India.
Observers argue that these recurring blame tactics serve to divert attention from internal challenges, such as crackdowns on Sikh and Kashmiri dissent. They stress the need for evidence-based investigations rather than speculative accusations.
Pakistan’s Foreign Office has formally expressed its concern over the Pahalgam incident and called for an impartial and credible probe. As scrutiny of India’s media and digital operations intensifies, international observers continue to call for transparency and independent verification of the claims being circulated.
