New Delhi, 10 November (H.S.): India has urged the relevant authorities to take stringent action against Chinese bloggers and social media influencers accused of tarnishing the country's image by portraying slum areas in Bangladesh's capital, Dhaka, as parts of New Delhi.

During the media briefing on Tuesday, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal described the alleged conduct as extremely unfortunate. He said that attempts to project a distorted image of another country through fabricated propaganda ultimately undermine the credibility of those promoting such narratives.

“We have seen media reports in this regard. Such attempts to present a distorted picture of any country are unfortunate. As far as attempts by foreign elements to portray certain areas of Dhaka as New Delhi are concerned, the dissemination of false narratives only undermines the credibility of those involved and those behind them. We urge the relevant authorities to take appropriate action against them,” Jaiswal said.

According to reports in the Bangladeshi media, around 150 Chinese influencers and livestreamers have been recording videos and conducting live broadcasts in impoverished neighbourhoods of Dhaka, including areas such as Uttara and Tekpara. They are allegedly presenting these locations to their Chinese audiences as parts of India's national capital, New Delhi.

The Chinese content creators are reportedly using social media platforms such as WeChat and Douyin to circulate highly objectionable claims about India's living conditions, cleanliness and infrastructure.

According to the reports, some videos have featured local tea stalls accompanied by baseless claims that tea was being prepared using cow urine.

The reports further allege that some of these influencers have entered the homes of residents in low-income neighbourhoods without permission to record videos. Their activities have reportedly angered local residents, who have expressed frustration over the intrusion into their private spaces.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar