What BJP alleges — the main claims?
BJP, led by its national spokesperson Sambit Patra, claims that many X accounts linked to Congress leaders, supporters or so-called “influencers” are being operated from outside India — from countries such as the United States, Ireland, Thailand, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Singapore and others.
According to BJP, this foreign-origin of accounts was exposed after X rolled out a new feature that shows “account location / origin country” in the profile metadata.
Some specific examples alleged by BJP:
The X account of Congress media-head Pawan Khera reportedly showed “based in United States.”
The official X handle of the state unit of Congress (for example – the “Maharashtra Congress” account) showed “based in Ireland,” though BJP claims it was later changed to India after being exposed.
BJP also pointed to other accounts allegedly linked to media / “influencers” or “fact-checking platforms” (like those associated with names like Alt News, Caravan India, and other left-leaning outlets) as being operated from abroad.
BJP alleges that these foreign-based accounts are not just random social media usage — but part of a coordinated effort (or “ecosystem”) to shape political narrative in India, amplify certain themes (often critical of BJP/RSS, or critical of government policies), and influence public opinion using foreign-based “influencers” or handlers.
According to BJP, such narratives allegedly pushed through these accounts included themes like alleged “vote chori” (vote theft), criticism of security / state institutions (for instance, around “Operation Sindoor”), and general negative portrayal of the government or ruling party leadership — all of which they claim to be attempts to destabilize national discourse and promote an “anti-India” agenda.
In short: BJP says that Congress is depending on foreign-operated X accounts and influencers to influence Indian public opinion, political discourse, and possibly electoral outcomes — bypassing domestic visibility and transparency.
What’s the evidence / What is known so far!?
The immediate trigger for these allegations was a new “location-tracking” or “account origin” feature on X, which allows seeing a user account’s “based in” country along with other metadata like app used, date of account creation, etc.
BJP claims that some Congress-linked accounts displayed foreign locations — e.g. Pawan Khera’s account (USA), Maharashtra Congress account (Ireland) — and that after being exposed, some accounts changed their location to India.
BJP displayed several X-handles and screenshots in a press conference as evidence, showing what it alleges are foreign-origin accounts tied to Congress or its ecosystem.
So far, the claims seem rooted in the publicly visible metadata from X (account origin, etc.) after the new feature rollout.
What’s uncertain / Contested / Criticism of the Claim?
The “location” or “origin country” shown by X’s metadata — while helpful — may not always accurately reflect where the actual person operating the account is located. Use of VPNs, proxies, remote logins, travel, device changes etc. can cause the displayed “based in” country to differ from the user’s real country. Critics and some media analyses highlight this limitation.
According to reports, while some accounts did show foreign locations, in many cases the data was updated or hidden later — which BJP interprets as a “cover-up” but skeptics see as users correcting or opting out of the feature.
As of now there is no independent, verifiable public audit or investigation that conclusively proves that the alleged foreign-based accounts are being used in a coordinated campaign by Congress (or its leaders) to influence Indian politics. The evidence publicly shared appears to be mainly metadata captures/screenshots, which — while indicative — may not by themselves meet legal or technical standards for proving “foreign manipulation.”
Some responses from Congress call the allegations “baseless,” arguing that the metadata is unreliable, and that the accusations distract from real issues.
Thus, while BJP’s claims rely on plausible metadata evidence, there remain legitimate questions about reliability, intent, and context — making the matter contested and far from conclusively proven (in public domain).
Political Impact & Why This Matters
If verified, such foreign-based / foreign-operated social-media accounts influencing domestic discourse raise serious issues about foreign intervention, information warfare, and transparency in political communication, which are sensitive in a democratic context.
The controversy has already heated political debate — BJP is using it to question Congress’s legitimacy, calling it “foreign-influenced narrative building,” while Congress and critics push back, casting doubt on the technical validity of the metadata and alleging a diversion from core issues.
The issue highlights broader concerns about online platforms like X: how digital information, anonymity or anonymity-adjacent metadata, and global accessibility can affect political discourse, misinformation, and cross-border influence. It may also fuel demands for stricter regulation of political social-media accounts and clearer transparency norms (location, identity, funding, control).
