Pakistan PM Imran Khan targets Indian Cricketers & Bollywood celebs; confuses with hashtag

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Monday tweeted extending its support to Disha Ravi -- a climate activist who allegedly shared the 'toolkit' related to the farmers' protest against the farm laws with Greta Thunberg. 

The Delhi Police has claimed that Disha Ravi, who was arrested by a Cyber Cell team of the force on Saturday, was an editor of the "toolkit Google doc" and "key conspirator" in the document's formulation and dissemination. Police alleged that Ravi and others "collaborated with pro-Khalistani Poetic Justice Foundation to spread disaffection against the Indian State."

Imran Khan targets Indian cricketers

In a tweet, Imran Khan's PTI alleged that India under "Modi/RSS regime believes in silencing all voices against them as they did in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK)." Targeting Indian cricketers and Bollywood celebrities, the party said that "using cricketers and Bollywood celebrities narrative building was shameful enough, but now they have also taken Disha Ravi for custody over Twitter toolkit case." He went on to use a hashtag that's hard to decipher, whether he means India has hijacked Twitter, or whether it should hijack Twitter, or some other meaning.

Celebrities like Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Ravi Shastri, Akshay Kumar, Sunil Shetty and Lata Mangeshkar among several others had tweeted calling for unity in the country after international pop star Rihanna, teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg and others extended their support to farmers protesting at the borders of India's capital against the three agriculture laws. However, seemingly unwilling to accept that some of these icons of India hadn't espoused an anti-government agenda, parties like the Congress even held on-ground protests and have sought a probe.

Twitter acts after Centre's warning

Earlier the Indian government had directed Twitter to remove 1178 Pakistani-Khalistani accounts spreading misinformation and provocative content around farmers' protest. Last week, Twitter blocked over 97% of the accounts and posts flagged by the IT Ministry for provocative content and misinformation around farmers' protest, news agency PTI quoting its sources said.

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The Ministry had questioned Twitter's delay in taking action on its order to block provocative content that could impact public law and order, whereas the American company had been quick to crack down when a similar instance occurred at US Capitol Hill. According to the sources, Twitter has now complied with the orders and over 97% of the accounts flagged have been blocked. Twitter has not responded to queries on the matter.

Thousands of farmers protesting the Centre's new agri laws had clashed with the police during their tractor parade on January 26. Over 500 police security personnel were injured while one protestor died during the Republic Day violence.

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(With agency inputs)