New Delhi: For those who deliberately spread fake news, Mohammed Zubair is a thorn in the eye. The co-founder of fact-checking website Alt News has long been a target for India’s right-wing ecosystem. With authorities also turning their gaze on him, Zubair even spent a brief stint behind bars. Yet, he remains unflinching in his resolve to stand by truth and the nation. Ironically, overnight, even some of his staunchest critics began to hail him as a hero.

When India launched a precision strike on terror camps in Pakistan during the wee hours of Wednesday, social media in the neighbouring country erupted with misinformation. Rising to counter the barrage of false claims was a one-man army—Mohammed Zubair. Throughout the night, Zubair, armed with facts, tirelessly debunked misleading narratives flooding X. As co-founder of Alt News, he has made it his mission to expose misinformation masquerading as truth.
 

It wasn’t the first time Zubair had stood firm in the face of adversity. In June 2022, he was arrested by Delhi Police for allegedly “hurting religious sentiments” and spent nearly a month in jail. Back then, many had vilified him. Today, some of those very voices have turned to applause. But Zubair remains unaffected. “All I do is stand for the truth,” he says simply.

A fight for the truth

Zubair first came across posts related to India’s military action in Pakistan around 2 am, just before heading to bed. A journalist had shared a video, which a news agency had also posted. He recognised it instantly—it was old footage. On verifying, he confirmed his suspicion and posted the clarification on X. What followed was a barrage of cyber attacks.

Some replied saying, “First verify whether these are really fake accounts from across the border.” That spurred him to look more closely at the pattern of posts emerging from Pakistan-based handles.

His experience tracking propaganda during the Russia-Ukraine war proved useful. Then too, he had observed unrelated images and videos being shared to deliberately mislead. A similar pattern was now visible among several Pakistani X handles. Zubair began fact-checking and posting the verified truths—and soon, X’s algorithm pushed more of these posts into his feed.

Some of the accounts were disguised to appear Indian. They praised Pakistan and Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge while targeting the Indian Army. A few even claimed to be military officers. But Zubair noticed an unusually heavy use of Urdu in their language. Deeper scrutiny revealed the truth—these accounts were all run from Pakistan.

After he began exposing the misinformation campaign, Zubair started receiving praise and direct messages of support from several right-leaning accounts—a rare occurrence. However, none of the extreme right-wing handles joined in. “Even the support I receive now may not last,” Zubair says.

“Back during the COVID-19 pandemic, many appreciated my work in busting fake claims. But that support vanished the moment I fact-checked something linked to their preferred political party.”

“I never work to please anyone. All I ever do is stand for the truth,” he adds, once again.