Indian Army says one clip was a deepfake and the other was misleadingly described. Congress’s student wing says the message in them was still correct.
New Delhi: The Indian Army has said that two videos shared on social media by a Congress leader were false. The videos claimed that China had entered Indian land. Union Minister Kiren Rijiju has now demanded that the Congress party apologise. A Congress student leader has defended the message of the videos, even though he accepted that one of them may have been edited.
What Were the Videos?
The two posts were shared by Ritu Choudhary, a Congress spokesperson from Bihar. The first claimed that Chinese vehicles had entered Indian territory. The second claimed that China had taken control of some areas in Arunachal Pradesh and that Indian soldiers were not getting the supplies they needed.
What the Army Said
The Army looked at both videos and explained what was wrong with each of them.
The first video: The Army said it showed Chinese commercial vehicles at Nathu La Pass in Sikkim. This place is an official border trade point between India and China, where trucks are allowed to move for business. “The movement of commercial vehicles at an authorised border trade route is being misrepresented as evidence of a Chinese military intrusion,” the Army said.
The second video: This clip showed Lieutenant General Girish Kalia, who heads the Army’s Spear Corps, saying that China had taken control of parts of Arunachal Pradesh. The Army said this video was a deepfake. A deepfake is a fake video made with artificial intelligence (AI) that can make a real person look like they are saying something they never said.
The Army explained that the original footage came from a press briefing in Kupwara, Jammu and Kashmir, on October 27, 2023. In that briefing, the officer spoke about attempts by people to sneak across the Line of Control. According to the Army, he “made no such statements” about China controlling Arunachal Pradesh or about soldiers being denied supplies.
Rijiju’s Reaction
Kiren Rijiju, who is a Union Minister and also an MP from Arunachal Pradesh, strongly criticised the Congress. He said the party must say sorry to the country for spreading a fake AI video that damages the Army’s image.
“This is a treacherous act and is on par with the vile deeds of our enemies,” he said. He also accused the party of running a “despicable campaign on behalf of India’s enemies.”
Congress Student Leader Responds
Vinod Jakhar, who is the chief of the NSUI (the Congress party’s student wing), did not accept the criticism. He told NDTV that even if the video was edited, the message in it was right.
“Even if the video is doctored, there is nothing wrong in what is being said in it,” he said. He then pointed to the youth protest in Delhi. He asked why forces were being sent to stop that protest, but not to Arunachal Pradesh, where he claimed China was taking Indian land.
It is important to note that the Army has said the claim made in the deepfake video was false, and the officer never said it.
BJP Joins the Attack
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also criticised the Congress. BJP spokesperson CR Kesavan wrote on X that Congress leaders sharing a deepfake showed the party’s “anti-Army mindset.” He also said the Congress “has been a serial offender” when it comes to damaging the image of the Armed Forces.
Why This Matters
This story shows how easily fake or misleading videos can spread online. With AI tools, it is now possible to copy a person’s face and voice and make them say things they never said. Even a real video can be shared with a wrong caption, as the Army says happened with the Nathu La clip.
Experts often suggest a few simple habits before sharing a video:
- Check who originally posted it.
- Look for reports from trusted news sources or official government pages.
- Ask whether the claim makes sense.
- If you are not sure, do not share it.
The matter has also become a political fight, with the ruling party and the opposition trading sharp words. At the time of writing, there was no word on whether Ritu Choudhary or the Congress party had removed the posts or responded directly to the Army’s statement.
