New Delhi: Kiran Patel, the alleged conman from Gujarat who was arrested on the suspicion of impersonating a high-ranking official from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), is not shy of using social media to discuss his “exploits” and “qualifications”.
Patel’s Twitter handle bio claims that he has a PhD from an American university, MBA from IIM Trichy, as well as M.Tech, and B.E. degrees.
During his trips to Kashmir, four since November 2022, he is believed to have told officials that he was additional director (strategy & campaign) in the PMO. Photos of armed convoys, Z+ security, VVIP treatment at public places flood his Twitter profile.
हैरत से जो यूँ, मेरी तरफ देख रहे हो..!!
लगता है कभी तुम ने, समुन्दर नहीं देखा….!!!! pic.twitter.com/2q4sdhC3lq— Dr. Kiran J Patel (@kiranpatel1977) February 15, 2023
Through the posts on social media, Patel can be seen posing with security personnel, driving in armed convoys around Kashmir, and posing in military areas that would usually be cut off to the public.
भारत हमको जान से प्यारा है ॥#India#Kashmir#Aharbal#Kulgam pic.twitter.com/l88ug99dna
— Dr. Kiran J Patel (@bansijpatel) February 23, 2023
તું અંધકાર ના ભયથી, મને ના ડરાવ..!!
મારી ભીતર નો સુરજ, કદી ડુબતો નથી….!!!!#Kashmir#PMOIndia#india#bharatmatakijai#JaiHind pic.twitter.com/mPk9jofx94— Dr. Kiran J Patel (@bansijpatel) February 17, 2023
After his arrest on 2 March, a video went viral in which Patel is seen walking through the snow with an armed cordon behind and next to him.
Shared govt communication too
A scan of his social media reflects that it wasn’t just limited to posting pictures and videos, as he seemingly uses larger themes to reinforce the image of being a high-powered PMO official.
Central to this is sharing news on development projects in Kashmir, as well as exhibiting nationalism through posts on the Indian flag. In one post on Twitter, he shared a video of the Tricolour flying at a government office in Pulwama district.
A photo shows the flag being hoisted at Srinagar’s iconic Lal Chowk.
In another instance, Patel used images of huge crowds at the Shankaracharya Temple in Srinagar to draw a parallel between progress and peace in the city.
In separate tweets, Patel shared videos of ‘winter carnival’ and the ‘Khelo India’ games being planned in Kashmir with hashtags of ‘Khelo India’, ‘JKTourism’, ‘PMOIndia’ among others.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
Also Read: ‘Cops not at fault’ — Former J&K DGP says blame lies with civil servant in Gujarat ‘conman’ case