A video of TikTok user Shadab Khan, inarguably repulsive, has been widely shared on social media platforms. Twitter user Deepak Khandwal shared the clip stating, “Shabad Khan has 11 million followers on TikTok and he is promoting how to spread coronavirus. (#शादाब_खान के टिकटोक पर 11 मिलियन से ज्यादा फॉलोवर हैं, और ये प्रमोट क्या कर रहा है कि #कोरोना_वायरस को कैसे फैलाना है.)”
Twitter user BALA @erbmjha was among the first to share the video where Khan can be seen filling his palm with spittle and shaking a woman’s hand. BALA is followed by Prime Minister Modi on Twitter.
Spokesperson of BJYM Telangana Roop Darak and Twitter user @Brahmeme also tweeted the video.
The clip is viral on Facebook. From the pages ‘Expose The Deshdrohis’ and ‘Modi Once More’ it has garnered thousands of views. It has drawn 25,000 views from the account of one Ranveer Gupta who identifies as a youth worker in the BJP, a swayamsevak at the RSS and an ABVP activist.
Unrelated to coronavirus
A rummage through Shadab Khan’s TikTok profile revealed that the video was created on February 6, 2020, weeks before coronavirus either became a part of the national discourse or was declared a health emergency in India.
Khan has made several videos related to coronavirus. Below is a TikTok video where he is seen advising people to stay at home.
While Khan has uploaded videos in the past that are distasteful and/or sexist, an old video has been cherry-picked from his profile and is being shared as if he is promoting the act of spitting in the middle of a pandemic.
TikTok is hardly a virtuous place. The platform is replete with people sharing misogynistic videos, and clips that sometimes promote violence. One can disagree with problematic views but to share them as a show of righteousness, when the real motive is to target the Muslim community, is a deliberate act of spreading disinformation.
This article was published on AltNews. Read the original here.