Despite being exposed, fake news thrives on social media ahead of India polls

Two weeks after a suicide bombing in Kashmir in February killed 40 Indian policemen, a Facebook user called Avi Dandiya posted a live video in which he played a recording of a call purportedly involving India’s home minister, the president of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and an unidentified woman.

The trio could be heard talking about arousing nationalist sentiment ahead of India’s general election, with the BJP president allegedly saying in Hindi: “We agree that for election, we need a war”.