A new feature introduced on X that shows the location from which an account is being operated has rapidly escalated into a political dispute in India, with both the BJP and Congress now accusing each other of relying on social media networks outside the country to influence public opinion.
The controversy began when BJP leaders claimed that the feature exposed several pro-Congress accounts operating from Pakistan, Bangladesh and other foreign territories. BJP IT Cell chief Amit Malviya described the findings as proof of a coordinated global conspiracy to influence India’s political discourse, alleging that many of these accounts had changed usernames repeatedly to hide their identities. He further asserted that the pattern pointed to organised efforts to create internal division, spread misinformation and amplify anti-BJP narratives.
The Congress responded forcefully, counter-accusing the BJP of selectively highlighting data. Supriya Shrinate pointed to several BJP-linked or government-associated accounts — including Gujarat BJP, Startup India, DD News and even spiritual figure Sri Sri Ravi Shankar — that the feature placed in locations such as Ireland and the United States. She also demanded an explanation for why the Adani Group’s X profile appeared to be operated from Germany, arguing that if foreign-run accounts were a problem, the BJP would need to answer the same question for its own ecosystem.
The exchange has unfolded despite X publicly clarifying that the location indicator is not always accurate and may change due to travel, VPN usage or technical inconsistencies. Nevertheless, the feature has quickly turned into a weapon in the political battle over authenticity, influence and public trust.
Both parties are now framing the issue as evidence of bad faith on the other side. The BJP claims that pro-Congress and anti-government messaging is being amplified by accounts largely operated from Pakistan and Bangladesh, and has linked this theory to its narrative that Congress relies on “manufactured digital hype” that does not translate into election results. Some accounts flagged by the BJP — including “Diya Sharma” and “Yashita Nagpal” — have since drawn further attention after one was suspended and the other publicly claimed to have been hired by multiple political parties in India before changing her account location.
Congress, meanwhile, is positioning the counterexamples as proof that the BJP’s narrative collapses under its own logic. The party argues that if location tags are being interpreted literally, then the BJP must explain why several of its own high-profile accounts appear to be based overseas. It has also been suggested that the location tool should not be treated as definitive evidence in any case, pointing to X’s own disclaimer.
What began as a platform update has now widened into a larger debate about political credibility, digital strategy and the boundary between online activism and foreign interference. With both sides using the feature to question each other’s legitimacy and motivations, the dispute continues to deepen — and it has become yet another flashpoint in India’s increasingly polarised digital political landscape.
