Pakistan generated over 300 Twitter handles to create confusion on tractor rally, says Delhi Police

Pakistan has generated 308 Twitter handles between January 13 and 18 to push hashtags on farmers' tractor parade on Republic Day and create confusion among the protesters and trouble during the rally, Delhi Police claimed on Sunday.

Special Commissioner (Intelligence) Deepender Pathak told reporters that a social media analysis using a sophisticated IT tool showed the generation of these Twitter handles, which were posting messages that are meant to create "confusion" within farmers.

Farmers' protest news update on DH

He said these handles were working to create confusion and trouble during the tractor rally. "These handles were pushing the hashtags on the tractor parade. We also have our eyes on Pakistan-based terror outfits who may want to use the occasion to create trouble. We have put in place a robust security ring," Pathak said.

Sources said Delhi Police has noted in its analysis that various profiles on Twitter posting messages on tractor parade mention their location as Middle-East and Turkey among others but were actually proxy accounts created by Pakistan to bolster the campaign "#SupportKhalistan".

Read | Farmers set for tractor rally on Republic Day; Delhi Police step up security

The analysis also showed that the support from Pakistan was coming in two shapes, one direct and open and other disguised as accounts from different countries, they said adding Pakistan is the most active location of the hashtag on Khalistan.

With a large number of Sikh farmers participating in the protests, some Khalistani groups have jumped in offering support and solidarity. The analysis also names Radio Pakistan, the official broadcaster, and some journalists as being influencers from Pakistan.

Sources also claimed that Pakistan agencies created a number of Twitter handles with Indian names to hoodwink people searching social media. Pathak said they have also received intelligence inputs from various agencies and states about attempts to create trouble during the farmers' parade.

Since November last year, farmers, mostly from Punjab and Haryana, have been protesting against the Centre's three new agriculture laws at several Delhi border points, including Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur, demanding that the legislations be repealed.

While police tried to convince farmer leaders to hold their tractor parade outside the national capital, they were adamant on holding the proposed rally on Delhi's busy Outer Ring Road.

Earlier, there have been three rounds of meetings between the unions and police officers from Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, but it was during the fourth round of talks over the tractor parade on Friday where both sides reached an agreement.