FACT CHECK: Washington Post Did Not Publish Article About Sikh Separatist Leader Faking Attack
A recent claim circulating on social media alleges that The Washington Post published an article stating that Sikh separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun faked an attack on himself to implicate India. The supposed headline suggested that an assassination plot against Pannun was staged. However, this claim has been debunked. A representative from The Washington Post confirmed that such an article was never published by the outlet, and searches of their website and verified social media accounts found no trace of it. The misleading image appears to have been manipulated from a different article about the assassination plot.
An image shared on Facebook claims The Washington Post published an article saying that Sikh separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun faked an attack on himself.
Verdict: False
The Washington Post did not publish this article. A Washington Post editor confirmed it was not published by the outlet.
Fact Check:
Social media users are claiming that The Washington Post posted an article claiming that the assassination plot against Pannun was staged. The alleged Washington Post headline reads, “An assassination plot on US soil reveals a darker side: Pannun may have staged attack on himself to implicate India.”
This claim is false. Check Your Fact could not find the article on The Washington Post’s website. A search of The Washington Post’s verified social media accounts also did not yield any results for the alleged article. (RELATED: Was Emmanuel Macron Booed At The Closing Ceremony Of The Paris Olympics?)
It appears that the image has been photoshopped from an article published by The Washington Post on the assassination plot. The original article is about the assassination plot and does not claim that it was staged. It is headlined, “An assassination plot on American soil reveals a darker side of Modi’s India.”
Gerry Shih, the India bureau chief for The Washington Post, confirmed on X that the claim was false.
🚨The viral post below is photoshopped, NOT a @washingtonpost story
Unfortunately, it already has 3.2K retweets—another Wednesday for the Indian social media disinfo factory
Fortunately, you can read the real story w this gift link and help share it: https://t.co/k30LErYx6r pic.twitter.com/UzMHwRn5yK
— Gerry Shih (@gerryshih) August 21, 2024
“The viral post below is photoshopped, NOT a @washingtonpost story..Unfortunately, it already has 3.2K retweets—another Wednesday for the Indian social media disinfo factory…Fortunately, you can read the real story w this gift link and help share it,” Shih tweeted.
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