Govt Debunks Viral Claim of Indian ‘Israeli Spy’ Arrest, Links Post to ‘Pro-Cong’ X Account

New Delhi– The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Saturday dismissed as false a widely circulated social media claim alleging that an Indian national had been detained in Saudi Arabia for working as an Israeli spy.

The claim, shared on the social media platform X, alleged that Saudi authorities had arrested two agents connected to Mossad, Israel’s intelligence agency, including an Indian citizen. According to the viral post, the suspects were accused of planning bomb attacks intended to frame Iran.

Rejecting the allegation as baseless, the MEA issued a clarification urging people to be cautious about misinformation circulating online.

“Please stay alert against such preposterous and unsubstantiated claims on social media!” the ministry said while responding to the viral post.

Officials said the claim is part of a wider wave of misinformation linked to ongoing tensions in West Asia. They emphasised that the allegation regarding the detention of an Indian national in Saudi Arabia has not been supported by any credible evidence or confirmed by official sources.

According to the government, the misleading claim originated from an account on X named “Amoxicillin”, which posted the allegation about the supposed arrest of the two alleged Mossad agents.

Authorities said the account has a history of sharing politically aligned content, often promoting narratives supportive of the Indian National Congress while circulating unverified information.

The account frequently posts messages praising Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, highlighting his political statements and portraying them as criticism of what the account refers to as “Sanghis”, a term commonly used online for supporters of the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, or other right-wing groups.

In several posts, the account has also mocked the BJP and its supporters, often using terms such as “Sanghi ecosystem” or “bhakts”.

The MEA’s clarification comes as authorities continue to caution citizens about the growing spread of misinformation on social media, particularly during periods of heightened international tensions when unverified claims can spread rapidly online.

—With inputs from IANS