No, this is not a screengrab showing a major Indian TV channel report on a Sikh regiment refusing to fight

This article is more than one year old.
Published on March 11, 2019 at 05:30
3 min read
By AFP India

Multiple posts on Facebook and Twitter and mainstream television channels in Pakistan have shared a screengrab they claim shows a report by a major Indian TV channel on a Sikh regiment refusing to fight for India. The claim is fake; the screengrab is a doctored version of an old report by the TV channel.

The misleading posts, for example here and here on Twitter, and here on Facebook, contain a doctored screengrab of a report by prominent Indian channel Republic TV.

The text across the screengrab says: BREAKING NEWS 21 SIKH REGIMENT REFUSED TO FIGHT FOR INDIA

India and Pakistan have engaged in aerial dogfights and exchanged fire in disputed Kashmir after a suicide attack last month killed 40 Indian paramilitaries. Here is an AFP report on the situation.

Pakistan television channel Abbtakk News used a tweet containing the doctored image as the basis for a news segment which they shared on their Facebook page, where it has been viewed 14,000 times since it was posted March 5, 2019.

Below is a screenshot of the news segment and the doctored image:

Screenshot of doctored image

The Twitter account that is used in the news segment, @GurmeetKaur2020, has been deactivated.

The doctored screengrab was also used by YouTube channel “Voice of East” during a March 6 broadcast discussing India-Pakistan tensions.

Below is a screenshot of the image used during the discussion:

Screenshot of the misleading image on Pakistan news show

A Google image reverse search found the original image appeared in this June 6, 2017 article by Indian website Newslaundry.

Below is a side by side comparison of the original (left) and doctored images (right). AFP has circled key features in both images which are exactly the same:

Comparison of original and doctored image

The Indian Army has also debunked the false claim on its official Twitter account.

False & malicious creatives & tweets from terror- sponsors are emerging. Guard against false propaganda against #IndianArmy units. Guard against Lie, Deceit & Deception of terror- sponsors. pic.twitter.com/aFZlP79PH5
— ADG PI - INDIAN ARMY (@adgpi) March 6, 2019

Republic TV also said the news was fake.

In a tweet in Hindi the channel said: "Thank you Indian Army for the tweet. Republic TV always stands with army. Those who are spreading fake news their intentions have failed. Indians have rejected the propaganda and fake news by Pakistan. The whole nations stands in unity with Army."

@adgpi ट्वीट के लिए आपका शुक्रिया। रिपब्लिक टीवी हमेशा सेना के साथ खड़ा रहा है और हमेशा रहेगा। फेक न्यूज फैलाने की कोशिश नाकाम हो चुकी है। भारत की जनता ने पाकिस्तान के प्रोपगेंडा और फेक न्यूज को नकार दिया है। पूरा देश सेना के साथ एकजुट होकर खड़ा है: अर्नब गोस्वामी #NationFirst https://t.co/j4ubTEt6qi
— रिपब्लिक.भारत (@Republic_Bharat) March 6, 2019

The doctored image has also been debunked by fact checking organisations such as Altnews.in and Boom Live.

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