India-based Russian state-owned media targeted Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi. File | Photo Credit: PTI
The Indian government is concerned about India-based Russian state-owned media targeting Indian Opposition leaders on social media and is likely to take it up with Russian authorities, official sources indicated. Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader Asaduddin Owaisi have been among the recent targets.
Sputnik India — which claims to provide news free of Western bias — posted on X on Monday, claiming that Indian intelligence agencies are tracking meetings between U.S. diplomats and Opposition leaders. It pointed to U.S. Consul General Jennifer Larson’s post, sharing a photograph of her meeting with Mr. Owaisi, an AIMIM leader and Lok Sabha MP.
“Sputnik has learned that a series of meets between US Consul General Jennifer Larson and Indian politicians have caused ‘legitimate concerns’, given recent developments in Bangladesh,” the Sputnik India post said. An official source subsequently termed Sputnik’s post as “misleading”.
Ms. Larson had previously travelled to Odisha and interacted with representatives of the new BJP government in the State. Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy had also recently met the U.S. diplomat.
‘Malicious post’
Earlier, Russia Today had trolled Mr. Gandhi with a video showing him making numerical addition mistakes while talking about reservation during a public meeting. The issue was taken up by the Kerala Congress, which subsequently claimed that the state-owned media channel had later taken down the video. “Russia Today quietly takes down the malicious instapost against Rahul Gandhi. A graceful apology for a mistake is never late,” the Kerala Congress said.
Such social media activity by the Russian media based in India have been spotlighted in official circles, especially as Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit Ukraine next week.
An official source indicated growing unease in South Block’s corridors about the repeated messages from Russian media about foreign diplomats meeting political figures, as that is a legitimate part of their duty. Sputnik India’s reference to Bangladesh has also added to the concern as Indian social media has recently been abuzz about the possible involvement of the United States in the dramatic overthrow of the Sheikh Hasina government in Bangladesh.
