‘Operation Sandhoor’ Built on Lies, says Washington Post in report
In a major international exposé, The Washington Post has revealed a disturbing pattern of misinformation by Indian media outlets during the much-publicized “Operation Sandhoor.” According to the report, the Indian government, particularly under the influence of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), orchestrated a disinformation campaign aimed at misleading its domestic population and manipulating global perception.
Key Revelations:
🔴 The Washington Post detailed how Indian television networks—Zee News, NDTV, Aaj Tak, and Times Now—broadcasted false war-related news during alleged skirmishes with Pakistan. Clips from video games, footage from Gaza and Sudan, and unrelated aviation accidents (including one in Philadelphia) were repurposed and presented as “live” visuals of strikes on Pakistani territory.
🔴 These fabricated reports included fictitious claims of bombings, military victories, and even assertions that the Pakistani Prime Minister had surrendered—all of which were entirely baseless. Despite no confirmation from the Indian Navy or Air Force, anchors and commentators continued to propagate the false narrative.
🔴 Retired Indian military officers were reportedly used as mouthpieces to lend credibility to the fabricated stories. Meanwhile, unverified “leaks” from BJP-affiliated WhatsApp groups were passed on to newsrooms and aired without journalistic verification.
🔴 The Washington Post commented that Indian TV newsrooms have become “captives of fiction writers,” noting a dangerous erosion of editorial independence. The use of nationalism as a tool of manipulation was central to the campaign.
🔴 The fallout was not just regional but international. An Indian intelligence official, speaking under anonymity, admitted that the disinformation strategy may have served political ends temporarily but ultimately damaged India’s credibility on the global stage.
🔴 The Indian government, rather than confronting these revelations transparently, responded with suppression. Foreign media organizations such as the BBC, TRT World, and Al Jazeera faced restrictions and censorship within India. Several independent journalists who challenged the state narrative were reportedly arrested or silenced.
🔴 The New York Times, Reuters, TRT, Al Jazeera, and BBC corroborated The Washington Post’s findings. In contrast, Pakistan’s media received praise for maintaining journalistic transparency and resisting reactionary misinformation.
