Govt trashes fake Jammu and Kashmir protest news

The Union home ministry has dismissed news reports of Reuters and Pakistani paper Dawn that massive protests were held in Jammu and Kashmir in the backdrop of the Centre's decision to remove the state's special status under Article 370.

"A news report originally published in Reuters and appeared in Dawn claims there was a protest involving 10,000 people in Srinagar. This is completely fabricated & incorrect," said the ministry in a statement on Saturday.

It went on to explain: "There have been a few stray protests in Srinagar/Baramulla and none involved a crowd of more than 20 people."

The Reuters report said the 'massive' protest was held in Srinagar on Friday. This was lapped up by the Dawn, a widely circulated daily of Pakistan. However, New Delhi said it was geared up to deal with Islamabad's propaganda with the help of foreign media.

On the fake news being peddled by Pakistan, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar on Friday said, "A generation in that country is fed up by certain propaganda. On many counts, people see through those designs."

Kumar added, "...frankly, I put all the trust, the statement, the speech of my PM, which is very positive, which is full of hope than propaganda... I would go by something which is hopefull rather than propaganda."

This is not the first time Pakistan has taken the help of foreign media to vilify India. In the aftermath of the airstrike on a terror camp at Balakot, Pakistan had used foreign agencies to peddle reports that it had suffered no damages.