"Peddling of false narratives only undermines their credibility": India on reports of Chinese vloggers falsely claiming Dhaka slums in New Delhi

India on Tuesday expressed concern over reports of Chinese nationals filming impoverished neighbourhoods in Bangladesh and presenting the footage as scenes from New Delhi, with Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal calling such attempts to portray a distorted picture of a country "unfortunate".

India on Tuesday expressed concern over reports of Chinese nationals filming impoverished neighbourhoods in Bangladesh and presenting the footage as scenes from New Delhi, with Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal calling such attempts to portray a distorted picture of a country "unfortunate". Responding to a question during his biweekly media briefing, Jaiswal said, "We have seen media reports in this regard. Such efforts to present a distorted picture of any country is unfortunate, I would say."

Referring to reports alleging that foreign nationals were being engaged to portray Dhaka as Delhi, the MEA spokesperson said that such attempts to spread misinformation undermine the credibility of those involved. "Insofar as efforts to buy foreign elements to portray Dhaka as Delhi are concerned, peddling of false narratives only undermines the credibility of those who are undertaking such actions and those who are filming them," he said.

Jaiswal also urged the concerned authorities to take action over the reported activities. "And I would urge that authorities concerned must take action against such a report," he added. The remarks came after an investigative report published by Bangladesh's Prothom Alo reported that around 150 Chinese nationals had been documenting impoverished neighbourhoods in Dhaka and broadcasting the footage on digital platforms while claiming that the locations were in New Delhi.

According to the report, Chinese vloggers were filming in areas including Tekpara and Uttara, presenting the neighbourhoods as parts of the Indian capital and making derogatory remarks about the living conditions and residents. In one instance, a Chinese national identified as 'Mianmian' livestreamed from Uttara's Sector 12 on November 1, claiming that the location was New Delhi and criticising the infrastructure and living conditions there.

"This is New Delhi. Their homes are extremely dirty. There isn't even a fan inside the tin-roofed houses. This place is quite underdeveloped, dirty and unhygienic, and the law-and-order situation is poor," Prothom Alo quoted her as saying. In another instance, an individual identified as 'Wang Wei' was reportedly seen filming tea vendors in Tekpara and making derogatory remarks about the tea consumed by residents.

"Look, they are drinking tea. Do you know what kind of tea this is? This is cow urine tea. They drink cow urine tea," the newspaper quoted the individual as saying. The report said that the livestreams were being broadcast on digital platforms including WeChat and Douyin. It also highlighted concerns among residents over filming crews entering residential spaces, kitchens and other private areas without prior permission.

According to Prothom Alo, local facilitators were also assisting the foreign nationals in navigating the neighbourhoods and were reportedly being paid between 700 and 800 Bangladeshi taka per day. The report further said that local police authorities had acknowledged observing foreign nationals filming in the Uttara area, while the reasons behind the activities remained under review. (ANI)