Imphal, TNI Bureau: In the midst of a political showdown over Rahul Gandhi’s visit to the crisis-hit Manipur, a tweet circulating on Twitter claimed that a group of Kuki militants had surrendered after a meeting with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. According to the tweet, one of the militants expressed a desire to renounce violence and embrace the path of Gandhi going forward.

Upon fact-checking, it was discovered that the viral tweet claiming the surrender of militants was fabricated. The tweet in question was allegedly posted by a user with the handle @AWhiteTigerINC, who had deliberately designed their Twitter profile to mimic the Press Trust of India (PTI), using PTI’s identity, including their logo. This deceptive attempt aimed to lend credibility to the story.

Later, the handle was changed to @PTINewsOfficiat . 

After meeting with Rahul Gandhi, kuki militants surrendered. One of the militants says wants to give up violence and follow the path of Gandhi from now onwards. pic.twitter.com/RTns6yTXta

— PTI (@AWhiteTigerINC) June 30, 2023

(Viral Fake Tweet)

The tweet has garnered around 1,417 retweets, 147 comments, 4,352 likes until Friday afternoon.

Simultaneously, it was discovered that the photo utilized by the Twitter user was from July 2022. A story published by East-Mojo on July 26, 2022, revealed that the image depicted Kuki insurgents who had assumed the identity of another group for the purpose of extortion. These individuals were subsequently apprehended by the authorities.

Check the complete story here: Manipur: Kuki insurgents using another outfit’s name for extortion arrested (eastmojo.com) 

During his two-day visit to Manipur, Rahul Gandhi paid a visit to the relief camps in the Churachandpur district. While several opposition parties supported and criticized the leader’s blockade, the BJP on the other hand alleged Gandhi of being “irresponsible.”