Attempts being made to 'scuttle' Sidhu's YouTube channel with fake IDs: Administrator

Two days after Congress MLA Navjot Singh Sidhu launched his YouTube channel, its chief administrator Smit Singh on Monday claimed that some "anti-Punjab forces" are trying to "mislead" people by creating fake IDs with the same name.

A cricketer-turned-politician, Sidhu launched his YouTube channel 'Jittega Punjab' on Saturday, describing it as a platform to "propel" Punjab towards "revival and renaissance".

"Anti-Punjab forces are trying to mislead people with fake 'Jittega Punjab' IDs on YouTube in attempts to create an illusion bearing testament to the fact that they are apprehensive of Navjot Singh Sidhu's direct connect with the people, while others for personal gains of viewership," Singh said in a statement here.

He claimed that hundreds of fake YouTube IDs cropped up within minutes of the launch of 'Jittega Punjab', proving that professionals were handling the deliberate mechanism to "scuttle" Sidhu's direct connect with the masses.

YouTube has been sending out copyright strike notices to illegally re-uploaded videos and sending impersonation notices to the fake channels, he added.

According to a statement issued by Sidhu's office on Saturday, the Congress leader launched his channel "to air and share his views with the people of Punjab in a simple and understandable form".

"After nine months of contemplation and self-renewal the former minister, four-term Member of Parliament and MLA Amritsar East will be vocal on the burning issues of Punjab and strive to carve out a concrete road-map for the resurrection of Punjab as a welfare state.

"The channel invites all like-minded people for discussions, interviews and an exchange of views," it said.