ISLAMABAD: A spat between the spokesman of the Pakistan army and a leader of India’s Bhartiya Janata Party over a song that Pakistan claims is plagiarized caused an online storm on Monday as users took to Twitter to defend their respective nations.
On Sunday, Gen Asif Ghafoor commented on a song posted by BJP lawmaker Thakur Raja Singh on Twitter, and said it had been copied from a song composed by a Pakistani singer and released this year during annual republic day celebrations on March 23. Singh had dedicated his song, which he claims is an original, to the Indian army.
In response, Singh posted: “Good to see even #Pakistan media is covering my song #HindustanZindabad … We don't have to copy anything from a terrorist state like Pakistan.”
Good to see even #Pakistan media is covering my song #HindustanZindabad.
I'm more surprised that even a terriorst nation produces singer's. #Pakistani singer's may have copied my song we don't have to copy anything from a terrorist state like Pakistan. pic.twitter.com/nnXIinOt1E— Chowkidar Raja Singh (@TigerRajaSingh) April 14, 2019
Ghafoor responded once again and said: “This lie too not a surprise. That’s what was said, we can’t be surprised,” referring to Pakistan’s refrain to India in February that India would not be able to catch it off guard after India claimed to have carried out airstrikes against alleged terror camps in Pakistan.
Pakistani media isn’t covering the ‘so called’ song. In rest of the world this is called something else...
Second sentence of previous tweet ie “But copy to speak the truth as well” stays valid as expected.
This lie too not a surprise. That’s what was said, we can’t be surprised. https://t.co/3tJzg43ccF— Asif Ghafoor (@peaceforchange) April 15, 2019
“You will never be able to surprise us. We have not been surprised,” Ghafoor had told reporters then.
Despite repeated requests from journalists, the Indian government has not produced evidence that a camp was destroyed in Pakistan or that any militants were killed in the February airstrikes.
The claims have been an issue in India’s general election, which started on Thursday. Senior government officials - including Prime Minister Narendra Modi - have attacked opposition politicians who ask for evidence as unpatriotic.
Satellite pictures have indicated that the main structures on the hill top India claims it targeted appear to be in similar condition after the attack as they were before.
Pakistan says Singh’s song is a copy of a song called ‘Pakistan Zindabad,’ originally produced this year by Sahir Ali Bagga for Pakistan’s annual republic day celebrations on March 23.
The army spokesman’s post about the song led hundreds of thousands of Pakistani Twitter users to post using the hashtag #ChowkidarChorHain (watchmen are thieves), calling out Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Main bhi chowkidar” or “I am also a watchman” election campaign:
Chowkidar is high on Cow Urine ....
— Muhammad Ahmed Khokhar (@axmebkhokhar) April 15, 2019
I seriously THOUGHT the singer was coughing until I realised he is singing. Yeh chawkidar to gaana chor hay...
— Fe'reeha Idrees@ abbtakk (@Fereeha) April 14, 2019
Wisdom and sense is required to copy something but here against all odds this man is copying ISPR song with pride,,shame on him. Congratulations to ISPR for rocking the world specially India.
— Mirza Iqbal Baig (@mirzaiqbal80) April 14, 2019
I am not glad because this is not copy but theft very unimpressive voice humiliation to those who are dedicated https://t.co/W8ZgBhr0iT
— Hamid Mir (@HamidMirPAK) April 14, 2019
