The attempt by a well-known Indian journalist to disgrace and humiliate Prime Minister Imran Khan backfired as she fell prey to a satirical piece published by a Pakistani website.
Aarti Tikoo Singh, who is associated with an Indian news agency Indo Asian News Service (IANS), reported that Imran, while holding a report upside down, said that Pakistan was successful in controlling the coronavirus pandemic.
The report also mentioned that an aide hinted to the prime minister about the document after he started murmuring.
In her bio for his Twitter handle, Singh introduces herself as Foreign and Strategic Affairs Editor. Previously, she was associated with The Hindustan Times and The Times of India.
But this blunder by the journalist considered a sympathiser of Hindu nationalist BJP couldn’t go unnoticed as the social media users are making a fun out of her.
Aarti Tikoo Singh took a Clearly marked Satire Piece seriously and reported it as News. Incidentally, she is also the same person who was angry and mocking those who were congratulating the Pulitzer winning Journalists from Kashmir pic.twitter.com/4BCc9hkd6h
— Joy (@Joydas) May 7, 2020
https://twitter.com/Abihabib/status/1258420092498358276
However, it is not for the first time that she has faced humiliation, as US Democrat Congresswoman Ilhan Omar had reminded her of a journalist responsibilities, advising her against being a mouthpiece of government.
https://twitter.com/OpusOfAli/status/1186965564469760000
As @Ilhan told Aarti Tikoo Singh last year when latter testified before the House Foreign Affairs Committee:"Ms Singh,a reporter's job is to find objective truth about what is happening and report it..."
— Rupa Subramanya (@rupasubramanya) May 7, 2020
Singh evidently can't tell news from satire even when it's marked as satire. https://t.co/icAuoJfh94
India's Joan of Arc and selective free speech advocate, "journalist" Aarti Tikoo Singh, falls for satire on Imran Khan and publishes it as a news story under her byline for news agency @ians_india . LOL.🤣 https://t.co/PEMlNofpaq
— Rupa Subramanya (@rupasubramanya) May 7, 2020
Although the IANS removed the story soon after realising the blunder and Singh has also now formally apologised in a tweet albeit conditionally, but the damage is already done to her repute which may be irreversible.
I mistook satire for serious news. The hate-AartiTikoo brigade in its frenzy is projecting as if my mistake is the biggest ever crime. Yes, stupid of me; I apologise for my error. But imagine the journos who deliberately peddle Pakistani propaganda & bigotry against India daily.
— Aarti Tikoo Singh (@AartiTikoo) May 8, 2020