Disinformation is practiced particularly by those who have records to hide, the Ministry of External Affairs has said

India on Friday slammed Pakistan for accusing India of spreading disinformation stating that the best example of disinformation is the “country next door which is circulating fictional and fabricated dossiers and purveys a regular stream of fake news”.

Speaking at a weekly media briefing, Ministry of External Affairs Official Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said, “As a responsible democracy, India doesn’t practice disinformation. In fact, if you are looking at disinformation, the best example is the country next door which is circulating fictional and fabricated dossiers and purveys a regular stream of fake news.”

Recently, claims have been made by Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Quereshi accusing India of running scores of fake media outlets to malign Pakistan.

Similarly, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan had quoted a report from the EU Disinfo Lab accusing India of indulging in subversive activities through fake media outlets.

Responding to this, the MEA Spokesperson said, “Disinformation is practiced particularly by those who have records to hide such as sheltering international wanted terrorists including Osama bin Laden, and who seek unsuccessfully to cover up their tracks such as on the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.”

Asked about Pakistani media reports quoting unnamed sources to claim that India was planning false flag operations, Srivastava said the best example of a country practicing disinformation is the country next door.

“Our position in this matter and the facts on the ground are well known, I don’t want to dignify such propaganda by responding to it,” he said.