The culture ministry on Friday put up a video on Twitter to mark India’s 70th Independence Day but was soon left embarrassed after it was discovered that the video featured Pakistan’s JF-17 ‘Thunder’ fighter jets with the tricolour.
Egg on its face, the ministry was quick to pull back the video from social media but sadly it was too little too late.
Social media users were obviously quicker to bash the government for putting an animated sequence at the beginning of over one minute video that showed two JF-17’s brandishing the Indian flag.
Copy paste can hurt you.. ministry of culture used China-Pak JF-17 fighter jet flying with Tirana.. pic.twitter.com/CEyloLIKmP
— (((Pradip R.Sagar))) (@pradiprsagar) August 12, 2016
The JF-17 was jointly developed by Pakistan and China and both the countries are promoting it to garner global supply orders for the jet. Pakistan intends to make it the main stay of its fighter fleet.
Confronted about the gaffe, a government source said it was an inadvertent mistake as the JF-17 looks similar to India’s Tejas light combat aircraft and it is difficult for an ordinary citizen to know the difference between the two types of aircraft.
However, realising the mistake, it was removed promptly, the source added.
Incidentally, Sri Lanka, which was in talks for the JF-17, has rejected the aircraft and is now eyeing Tejas.
Here is how Twitterati have reacted to the goof-up:
Haahhaaaaa … Bhakt toh Bhakt ab toh Ministries bhi becoming expert at Photoshop #Govt.I-Day video gaffe. https://t.co/wfKE457x9M
— Vijay K Gupta (@vijayguptasangr) August 13, 2016
At least it was the right flag. https://t.co/r77lzl2exs
— Abhijan Choudhury (@abhijan666) August 12, 2016
Idiots at Indias’ ministry of culture cannot differentiate btwn JF17, F16 or LCA even if their life depended on it https://t.co/rmKPQseDOP
— Disha gaganaviharin (@Gajaakesari) August 12, 2016
Oops. @dperi84 who faults the Culture ministry for showing Chinese jet with Indian flag in I-day video https://t.co/R0GgsdrJRC
— anuradha raman (@raman_anuradha) August 12, 2016
Cultural ministry shows Chinese jet with Indian flag..! https://t.co/wan7AqE6LD
ROFL.. )))Photoshop Govt with Zero efficient Govenance— மகிழ்வரசு ThePatriot (@Anandraaj04) August 12, 2016
Embarrassed by Tejas, India is showing Pakistan’s JF-17 thunder in its #IndependenceDay videos. #PakistanZindabad https://t.co/ipPxmmuRxc
— Asfandyar Bhittani (@BhittaniKhannnn) August 13, 2016
In any case, why did a Ministry of *Culture* I-Day video feature combat aircraft? Books, music, poetry, dance…?? https://t.co/NJbp5sAP3R
— Poonam Saxena (@PoonamSaxena_) August 13, 2016
(With inputs from PTI)