Asserting that fake Twitter accounts were being used to “create divisions within our community”, the embassy in Doha posted, “Please understand the reality and do not get swayed by these malicious attempts to sow discord.”

Pointing to fake accounts posing as Arab royal family members and criticising India over “Islamophobia”, government sources in New Delhi on Thursday said it is an “attempt to sow discord” between India and Arab countries.

Sources also called the recent statement by Organisation of Islamic Cooperation “deeply regrettable” and that they should not “communalise the fight against COVID-19 pandemic”.

After Indian envoy to the UAE, Indian embassies in Oman and Qatar have come out to douse the controversy.

In Oman, a social media post by a fake account purportedly belonging to one of Oman’s princesses stirred the hornet’s nest. After Oman’s Princess Mona Al Said clarified it was a fake account, Indian envoy Munu Mahawar tweeted, “I thank HH @MonaFahad13 for clarification on fake social media posts attributed to her. India values its friendly relations with Oman and will continue working closely with the Government and people of Oman to further strengthen our special relationship.”

The Indian Embassy tweeted Wednesday, “The friendly relations between India and Oman are underpinned by our shared values of tolerance and pluralism. Let us all commit to maintaining unity and social harmony at this critical juncture. As PM @narendramodi said: We are in this together.”

The Indian embassy in Qatar on Tuesday posted screenshots of two Twitter accounts, which had the same display picture, but had different names — one claimed to be based in the Gulf. Both of them had posted anti-Muslim comments, linking the spread of coronavirus to the community.

Asserting that fake Twitter accounts were being used to “create divisions within our community”, the embassy in Doha posted, “Please understand the reality and do not get swayed by these malicious attempts to sow discord.”