New Delhi: In a development that is embarrassing for the Congress party, its online magazine Yuva Desh is caught spreading a fake video, where an AAP member is turned into IAF hero Abhinandan's wife. In fact, the woman who is seen ranting against the BJP is not remotely connected with the IAF wing commander.

In a tweeted video that was posted on February 28, which has so far has crossed 43,000 views, a woman is heard requesting 'political leaders' not to politicise “the sacrifice of our soldiers”. She calls herself the “wife of an army officer”, but is projected as “Abhinandan ki Patni” (Abhinandan's wife).

That it's blatant fake news can be comprehended by the very fact that the woman calls herself the wife of an “army officer”. Abhinandan is an Indian Air Force pilot and part of the team that chased Pakistan F-16s and reportedly shot down one of them before his MiG-21 was downed and he was captured.

The BJP was quick to attack Congress and its president Rahul Gandhi. "Faking a video by the name of braveheart Abhinandan's wife for political propaganda is beyond even shameful," the party tweeted. The BJP went on to question Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s conduct and editorial standard of the e-magazine run by the Congress.

That's not all. the lady in question is identified as Sirisha Rao. She claims to be a political activist of Aam Admi Party (AAP). The display picture of her Facebook page, that goes by the name of 'Sirisha Rao: AAP Haryana', has a selfie taken by her with an AAP logo, stamped on it.

In spite of being called out, Yuva Desh has refused to delete the video peddling fake news, leave aside apologise to the family of the IAF hero. However, this is not the first time Yuva Desh has been embroiled in a controversy.

In November 2017, they made a classist jibe against PM Narendra Modi and his rise to power from being a tea-seller in Vadnagar of Gujarat. In a highly derogatory meme, the PM was attacked personally.

It made the Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani tweet, "This blatantly classist and anti-poor Tweet by the Youth Congress shows their mindset towards India's poor. Does Crown Prince @OfficeOfRG support this?"

 

Buckling under pressure, Congress's Randeep Surjewala said he “disapproved” of the tweet, following which it was deleted.

In 2019, the e-magazine of the Congress is back at the game, this time spreading fake news in the name of an Indian hero without thinking twice about his safety. 

As #WelcomeHomeAbhinandan is the top trend across India on Twitter and the nation joins his family in jubilation, the e-magazine of the grand old party refuses to delete the fake video.