SRINAGAR: Indian Journalist Barkha Dutt was trolled by Kashmiris for twisting facts about Kashmir highway ban. The Journalist seemed to unaware of the fact that there were no restrictions on civilian traffic on Wednesday, yet she posted a video on her Twitter handle claiming that she witnessed civilian traffic on the highway. “We travel on highway between srinagar and jammu to get a first hand sense of the much debated 'highway ban' (order closes highway twice a week with exemptions). Wednesday, today is a 'closed' day but we saw civilian traffic, including us, allowed on after multiple checks & stops,” Burkha Dutt tweeted with a 14 second video.
Twitterati from Kashmir and others accused her of twisting facts and asked her to either take down her tweet or express reality. In her tweet, Burkha Dutt had nowhere mentioned that due to movement of election staff, civilian traffic was allowed to pass through the highway, instead, she had come up with a vague sentence that she saw civilian traffic. Those who responded to her ‘diplomatic’ tweet included National Conference leaders Dr Bashir Ahmed Veeri, Tanvir Sadiq, senior journalist Yousuf Jameel,
After feeling heat from the netizens, Burkha Dutt tried to pacify them admitting that movement is restricted on the highway. Senior Journalist Yousuf Jameel reminded her that there was no ban on Wednesday and she chose a wrong day. “There's no ban on civilian traffic along the highway today. J&K authorities made an announcement to this effect this morning. You chose a wrong day for your story.”
National Conference leader Dr Bashir Ahmed Veeri wrote:” Local Kashmiri people are not allowed to even cross the high way on the days of restrictions. However tourists, outsiders, journalists are allowed randomly depending on their luck!!!! #Kashmir under complete subjugation!!!!” Senior photo journalist Javed Dar while accusing her of misrepresenting facts quipped this is how she misreports Kashmir after having wazwan. She should know that restrictions on highway has been lifted today because Srinagar and Budgam are going for polls tomorrow and election staff has to get EVMs and other election related stuff today in Srinagar.
“Gullible are the people who don't see you as an embedded journalist. You chose a day when (by the order of the govt) there is no ban on the traffic movement. These checks and stops are normal for Kashmiri's irrespective of #HighwayBan,” wrote a netizen. Majority of the netizens accused Burkha Dutt of misreporting about Kashmir. Dutt in another tweeted labeled Kashmiri as right wing to which a netizen replied: Don't fancy yourself as Independent Journalist.Please take down this misleading tweet. Your tweet is totally biased and far from facts.
Carin Jodha Fischer, a German American responded to the tweet of Burkha Dutt saying: "Wednesday, today is a 'closed' day but we saw civilian traffic, including us, allowed on after multiple checks & stops."" Makes Kashmiris sound like liars or exaggerators,” The profile of Fischer on Twitter reads: “My heart is buried in wounded Kashmir... German/ American who lived in IOK for ten years until exiled by Hindu Extremist regime in 2016. Nemesis: Ajit Doval”. Another non-local netizen wrote that she crossed the limits of hypocrisy.