This episode is hosted by Dr. Umer Jan and Dr Jamie Ranger, in conversation with Dr. Niloufer Siddiqui and Dr. Kiran Garimella. In the episode we discuss how misinformation and disinformation intersect with political violence and electoral behaviour in South Asia, particularly Pakistan and India. The discussion also uncovers the unique challenges of misinformation in private, encrypted networks such as WhatsApp and the evolution of political parties’ digital strategies, especially around pivotal elections and Artificial Intelligence. Addressing case studies of vigilante violence driven by rumours, the experts provide insights into how misinformation and hate speech escalate ethnic and religious tensions. Dr. Siddiqui is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy at the University at Albany-State University of New York (SUNY). She is also a Nonresident Fellow at the Stimson Center and a Fellow at the Mahbub ul Haq Centre at Lahore University of Management Sciences. Her research focuses on critical issues such as political violence, political behavior, and the politics of religion and ethnicity in South Asia. Dr. Garimella is an Assistant Professor in the School of Communication and Information at the Rutgers University and a leading researcher in misinformation, social computing, and computational social science, with an empirical focus on South Asia. He previously worked as the Michael Hammer Postdoctoral Fellow at the Institute for Data, Society, and Systems at the MIT. Listeners will gain a deeper understanding of how disinformation shapes public perceptions, fuels political agendas, and challenges the democratic fabric of South Asia. Join us for a critical look at the urgent need for community-driven fact-checking, effective counter-narratives, and policies that address the digital dimensions of politics.