MEA takes meme route (ANI image)
The ministry of external affairs (MEA), in a unique attempt to counter repeated misinformation about the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, on Wednesday shared a viral meme from the American animated show South Park with the caption: “How many times do I have to explain this to you?” on its new fact check page on Instagram.The post used the popular meme format to express frustration over what it described as repeated false claims regarding the status of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.The MEA Fact Check wrote: “On repeated falsehoods being spread about the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, @meaindia be like…” alongside the South Park meme. The ministry reiterated India’s long-standing position, stating: “The entire Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, including the areas currently under Pakistan‘s illegal and forcible occupation, are integral and inalienable parts of India.”It further said that Pakistan’s ongoing electoral exercise in the region was “nothing but an attempt… to camouflage its illegal occupation and hide its grave human rights violations in the region.”Response to social media claimsThe MEA Fact Check also posted the same message on X in response to a social media account that claimed Jammu and Kashmir remained disputed territory under UN resolutions. Rejecting those assertions, the ministry reiterated that the entire Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, including areas under Pakistan’s “illegal and forcible occupation,” are an inseparable part of India and described Pakistan’s electoral process in the region as merely “cosmetic.” The ministry’s post also referred to the continuing unrest in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), saying the protests were a direct result of “Islamabad’s decades-long systemic economic exploitation, denial of fundamental rights, and administrative oppression.”The rebuttal comes amid reports of fresh violence in Rawalakot and Mirpur, where security forces allegedly opened fire on demonstrators protesting for basic rights.
