Indian Government Takes Action Against Fake News Peddler Ashok Swain’s Social Media Account

In a significant move, the Government of India recently withheld the X (formerly Twitter) account of Sweden-based troll Ashok Swain on August 8th. This action comes in response to a legal demand by the Indian authorities, highlighting the country’s resolve to combat the dissemination of fake news and disinformation. Swain, who is associated with Upsala University, has repeatedly been caught spreading fabricated news to tarnish India’s image and propagate a distorted narrative of Muslim victimhood within the country.

Senior Advisor in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Kanchan Gupta, applauded this action, emphasizing that Swain’s days of peddling disinformation and fake news in India have come to an end. Gupta took to X and commented, “This malicious disinformation and hateful Fake News peddler is a Swedish national funded by UU University of Sweden. His corrosive hate-mongering and disinfo. campaigns will no longer titillate his perverse Left Liberal fans in Bharat.”

The move to withhold Swain’s account highlights the broader issue of misinformation and its impact on societal harmony. Befitting Facts, a prominent social media handle, shed light on Ashok Swain’s history of misleading narratives to underscore the importance of this action. Notably, in December 2022, Swain attempted to manipulate public sentiment by sharing a video of a mob assaulting an individual. He insinuated that the victim, who had been attacked due to suspicions of being a Muslim, was a victim of a near-fatal lynching attempt. However, subsequent investigations revealed that the attack was motivated by suspicions of theft, rather than religious identity.

The police later arrested five individuals involved in the incident after the video gained widespread attention online. In a surprising turn of events, the victim himself was charged with theft. This incident exemplifies the dangerous consequences of spreading false information and the role it plays in exacerbating societal tensions.

Furthermore, the Government’s actions seem to signal a broader crackdown on fake news. Other social media accounts have also been withheld in India, suggesting a concerted effort to curtail the dissemination of misinformation. In a related development, the microblogging site has also taken action against Ahmed Khabeer, an alleged journalist and the editor of ‘Jamia Times’. Khabeer has been criticized for disseminating fake news and perpetuating Hinduphobia, raising questions about the responsibilities of media professionals in the digital age.

The withholding of Ashok Swain’s social media account underscores the importance of responsible information sharing and the need to address the growing challenge of misinformation in today’s interconnected world. As India takes steps to counter fake news, it opens up a larger conversation about the role of social media platforms and individual accountability in ensuring the accuracy and integrity of online information.