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Spreading Hatred In The Name Of Celebrities: Farhan Akhtar, Swara Bhaskar & Nana Patekar Targeted
There have been many instances of fake news being spread on social media in the name of celebrities. Recently, Farhan Akhtar, Swara Bhaskar, Prakash Raj, among others, were used as pawns to spread false propaganda.
Farhan Akhtar
Recently, Bollywood actor and producer Farhan Akhtar faced backlash after a statement by him on Kasganj violence went viral. There were several posts claiming Akhtar said this:
The post was widespread on social media with some describing Akhtar as a ‘jihadi’. When several criticisms were flaked at him, he took to Twitter for clarification, saying it was a malicious statement that he did not make.
Gaurav Pradhan, a repeated offender of spreading fake news, tweeted the false statement created by Postcard News which is infamous for spreading fake news
. @TwitterIndia this is a malicious tweet with a statement that I did not make being ascribed to me. Kindly take necessary action against this user. https://t.co/wKuOUGOkhc
— Farhan Akhtar (@FarOutAkhtar) January 30, 2018
Nana Patekar
Actor and writer Nana Patekar was quoted in a fake news saying:
Contrary to this, Patekar has been vocal in his support for ‘Padmaavat’. He condemned the violent threats issued by fringe groups to filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali and actress Deepika Padukone.
Another Facebook post quoted him saying, “Modij, a surgical strike should happen inside India also as there are too many anti-national people”
However, the veteran actor never said these words. The statement was a diversion tactic that used Patekar’s popularity to spread fake propaganda.
The Khans of Bollywood
There was a fake news claiming that the three Khans of Bollywood – Amir, Shah Rukh, and Salman – refused to meet Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu because he is a Jew. Some people on social media came out in support of the actors, claiming that Netanyahu’s religion was not the Khans’ actual concern, but the real reason for the refusal was their hesitance to meet a Prime Minister who was accused of war crimes.
Neither of the actors refused to meet PM Netanyahu for his religious inclination.
Javed Akhtar
A fake news quoted lyricist Javed Akhtar as saying, “If Hindus had the power to defeat Muslims, Padmavati wouldn’t need to commit Jauhar. But for 1,100 years, Hindus have been slaves to Muslims and still are”.
However, Akhtar never made the above statement.
Prakash Raj
The fake news on actor Prakash Raj quoted him saying, “Hindus have been wiped out from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Kashmir. They never sought revenge from Muslims. They silently embraced death. All Hindus should learn secularism, and tolerance from those Hindus”.
Prakash Raj tweeted that the people spreading these type of news are frustrated and desperate.
By spreading such lies…instead of debating my views…you are proving to the world…how frustrated..desperate..and the cheap levels you can stoop down ..Dear citizens please like and retweet this to show such cowards …that we stand for a fearless Society which questions pic.twitter.com/2Bxi6aQUbV
— Prakash Raj (@prakashraaj) January 29, 2018
Swara Bhaskar
Swara Bhaskar, Bollywood actress and columnist, also became a victim of fake news which quoted her saying:
She tweeted that the news was a blatant lie severely condemned it.
Here is a perfect example of dangerous bigoted misogyny and lies. This is how hate spreads in our society. I LITERALLY have NOT used any of these words in my open letter to #SanjayLeelaBhansali on #Padmaavat
May i respectfully ask our PM @narendramodi ji to unfollow this lier https://t.co/TSBhQ47p6Q— Swara Bhasker (@ReallySwara) January 30, 2018
This is a BLATANT LIE. @ShankhNaad pls publish an official apology or we can take this to court.. https://t.co/yJQe6UpX7l
— Swara Bhasker (@ReallySwara) January 30, 2018
Creating or sharing fake news is never justified. We have a responsibility to verify everything that we post on the internet. To ensure that our national debate is healthy and well-informed, each and every one of us has a responsibility of treating what we read with a pinch of salt, a spoonful of doubt, and a flood of research.
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