No, Pakistan PM did not thank people of Karnataka for electing Congress, Viral picture fake
Bengaluru: A viral photo circulating on WhatsApp and Twitter claims that Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif tweeted a thanking message to the people of Karnataka for electing the Congress party in the Karnataka Assembly elections. The tweet allegedly stated that he hoped Congress, along with the SDPI, would work towards strengthening Islam in India and the sovereignty of Karnataka. However, a fact-check investigation has confirmed that the claims are false, and Shehbaz Sharif did not post the tweet from his official handle.
“I would like to heartily thank the people of Karnataka for electing Congress, I hope that Congress along with our SDPI will work for the strengthening of Islam in India and the sovereignty of Karnataka.” The picture of the tweet states.
Upon scrutiny, it was discovered that on the mentioned date of May 13, 2023, Sharif had only posted three tweets, none of which were related to the Karnataka elections or India. The analytics tool, Social Blade, also verified that no other tweet was made by Sharif. The photo containing the alleged tweet was fabricated, and the information it conveyed was completely baseless.
Even senior BJP leader and MP Subramanian Swamy had tweeted the picture questioning the authenticity of the tweet adding that he had received it on WhatsApp. Several other BJP workers and activists had also shared the image on Twitter with false claims.
This is not the first instance of a fake tweet attributed to Shehbaz Sharif. Another similar fake tweet went viral on May 7, just before the voting day of May 10. In that tweet, Sharif was purportedly urging the people of Karnataka to vote for the Congress party to reactivate the PFI (Popular Front of India) and strengthen Islam in India. However, like the previous instance, this tweet was also proven to be false upon investigation.
Is this real? I got it from a Whatsapp account pic.twitter.com/p2Shz5fvnW
— Subramanian Swamy (@Swamy39) May 15, 2023
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Hemant Karkare dying at hands of Kasab ‘Karmic Justice’: Shefali Vaidya on Col. Purohit’s promotion
Shefali Vaidya’s ‘karmic justice’ remark on Hemant Karkare sparks controversy.
Columnist Shefali Vaidya said that the death of former ATS chief Hemant Karkare was “almost karmic justice,” while expressing support for the promotion of Shrikant Purohit.
In the post, she wrote, “Col Purohit to be made Brigadier! This is the least Indian Army could do to restore the honour of an officer who was wrongly accused, framed on false charges, tortured beyond imagination and lost many years of his life thanks to anti-national, evil Congress.”
She further stated, “the way Maharashtra ATS Hemant Karkare died at the hands of Kasab was almost karmic justice, for having tortured Col Purohit, Sadhvi Pragya and others in the fake Hindu terror case. Ditto for disgraced cop Parambir Singh!”
Her post came after reports that Colonel Purohit, who was acquitted in the 2008 Malegaon blast case last year, has been approved for promotion to Brigadier.
Defence sources cited by Indian Express had indicated that less than a month after his retirement was put on hold by the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT), he has been approved for promotion to Brigadier.
According to the report, he will now continue in service for at least two more years, up to the age of 56, which is the retirement age for Brigadiers, compared to 54 for Colonels.
Purohit had reportedly approached the AFT, stating that the 17-year-long trial had affected his career progression and denied him the opportunity to be considered for promotions.
Though he was granted bail in 2017, he remained under a Discipline and Vigilance (DV) ban, which was lifted in July 2020. Due to this, his promotion to the rank of Colonel was reportedly withheld in 2021.
The controversy around remarks on Karkare is not new.
Earlier, YouTuber Dhruv Rathee had highlighted instances of social media users allegedly making derogatory comments about the slain officer.
Hemant Karkare, a 1982-batch IPS officer, served as the chief of the Mumbai ATS and led the investigation into the 2008 Malegaon blasts. He was killed in action on November 26, 2008, during the 2008 Mumbai attacks while responding to terrorist activity near Cama Hospital. He was posthumously awarded the Ashoka Chakra in 2009.
According to the Mumbai Police chargesheet, Karkare, along with Additional Commissioner of Police Ashok Kamte and Inspector Vijay Salaskar, was killed in an exchange of fire with Pakistani terrorists, including Ajmal Amir Kasab and Abu Ismail Khan.
The officers were ambushed near Rang Bhavan Lane while moving towards Cama Hospital.
According to a report by India Today, BJP leader Pragya Singh Thakur had earlier claimed that Karkare died as a result of a “curse,” while Maharashtra Leader of Opposition Vijay Wadettiwar had alleged that an “RSS-linked cop” was responsible for Karkare’s death, citing claims from a book by S.M. Mushrif.
