ISLAMABAD: India’s recent claim of capturing a supposed ‘spy toy’ has once again turned into a source of amusement, highlighting the recurring pattern of baseless allegations made by the Indian authorities.
The recent incident reflects the Indian state’s tendency to view even innocuous objects through a conspiratorial lens, fueled by the Indian security establishment, biased media, and extremist political factions such as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
India’s previous instances of outlandish claims include an incident where a prominent Indian anchor labeled the locust infestation affecting Africa and the subcontinent as a plot by Pakistan to harm Indian crops.
انڈیا نے ایک اور غبارہ پکڑ کر بہت بڑا آپریشن کرنے شروع کر دیا
Indian media, police, intelligence
and military are hilariousبڑا دشمن بنا پھرتا ہے بچوں کے کھلونوں سے ڈرتا ہے
۲۰۲۰ سے لے کر ۲۰۲۳ تک یہ چھٹا واقعہ ہے
لگتا ہے کسی پاکستانی بچے کے پاس سب رنگوں کے گیس والے غبارے… pic.twitter.com/NcKvaN6FBK
— Ammar Solangi (@fake_burster) June 10, 2023
The latest manifestation of this childish mindset is the labeling of an airplane-like toy balloon, captured by Indian security agencies, as a ‘spy plane’ sent from Pakistan. It is expected that, as in the past, India’s claims will prove baseless and lose credibility.
India Continues Baseless Allegations Against Pakistan
This is not the first time India has made such absurd claims regarding Pakistan. In February 2017, an alleged ‘spy pigeon’ with a phone number and a message tied to its feet was captured in the Indian state of Rajasthan. The pigeon was even given the name ‘Zarbaz Khan’. However, this incident, promoted by the Indian media, only served to ridicule India internationally. Eventually, when the drama could no longer be sustained, news emerged that the ‘spy pigeon’ named ‘Kabutar Janbaz Khan’ had miraculously escaped from Rajasthan police custody.
One would have hoped that such incidents would cease, but it seems that negative propaganda against Pakistan remains an easy way to grab attention in India. Continuing this trend, another ‘spy pigeon’ was allegedly captured from the Kathwa district of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, as reported by the Indian official news agency, ‘Press Trust of India’. Given the past experiences, this news raised eyebrows among Indian citizens, leaving them puzzled by the ongoing spectacle. ‘Pigeon’ even became a trending topic in Pakistan, with users making humorous comments.
In July 2020, the colorful balloons discovered near the Pakistani border were labeled as ‘spy balloons’, yet the outcome remained the same—India’s claims lacked substance. Over the years, from 2017 to 2023, Indian security agencies have attempted to showcase their ‘efficiency’ by apprehending birds, balloons, and toys, but their performance has only succeeded in making India a laughing stock on the global stage. It remains to be seen whether Indian institutions will learn any lessons from these episodes or continue to export similar spectacles in the future.
