'Fake news': Twitter trolls economist Steve Hanke after he says BJP office in Bihar torched in protest of rising poverty

Steve H. Hanke, a professor of applied economics at the Johns Hopkins University, recently took to Twitter and tweeted a video of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) office in Bihar's Madhepura. The double-storey office was set on fire during the protests against the Agnipath military recruitment scheme. However, the economist claimed the office was set ablaze in protest of "rising poverty and an inability to buy food in PM Modi's reign".

Taking to Twitter, Hanke wrote, "Demonstrators in Bihar, India have torched the BJP’s office in protest of rising poverty and an inability to buy food under PM Modi’s reign."

Meanwhile, Twitter users trolled the economist over the fake claim.

"Hullo 'Economist' Ji @JohnsHopkins, Food is free for nearly three quarters of India's citizenry by way of free ration provided by PM @narendramodi. Poverty has declined 12.3 % points in Modi era (per World Bank). India is fastest growing economy. PS: Sri Lanka is not in Bihar (sic)," a Twitter user wrote.

"Probably this fake news economist doesn’t know that Modi govt has been giving FREE RATION every month to 80 million people in India since Covid times (sic)," wrote another Twitter user.

Check out a few tweets below: