GUWAHATI, Oct 27: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has accused the Congress of attempting to malign the Indian armed forces by circulating a doctored video falsely attributed to a senior Army officer, describing the alleged move as a “classic Cong playbook” and demanding strict legal action against those responsible.
Sharing the clip on social media, Sarma alleged that the video was being used to discredit the armed forces and shame the country for political gain. He also claimed that its circulation had been “sanctioned by their High Command” and said those responsible “must face the full force of the law”.
The controversy centres on a digitally manipulated video that attributes fabricated remarks to Lieutenant General Girish Kalia, General Officer Commanding of the Army’s Spear Corps, about alleged Chinese control over parts of Arunachal Pradesh and claims that Indian troops had been denied essential supplies.
In the viral clip, the officer appears to claim that China had taken control of Asaphila, Longju and Taksing Circle in Arunachal Pradesh. It also alleges that the Centre was deploying paramilitary forces against Gen Z protesters in the state instead of using them against China.
The video further claims that 25 soldiers had been arrested and their whereabouts were unknown, raising questions about the Centre’s commitment to safeguarding India’s territorial sovereignty.
However, the Indian Army’s official fact-checking handle, Indian Army Fact Check (@MythbusterXX), dismissed the clip as fabricated, stating that it used artificial intelligence-generated lip-syncing and voice cloning to falsely attribute the remarks to Kalia.
According to the Army, the video uses archival footage from a press briefing held in Kupwara, Jammu and Kashmir, on October 27, 2023. At the time, Kalia was serving as General Officer Commanding of the 28 Infantry Division and was addressing the media on counter-terrorism operations along the Line of Control.
The original briefing focused on infiltration attempts and operational achievements in the region. The Army reported that 10 infiltration attempts had been foiled, 27 terrorists eliminated, and warlike stores and narcotics recovered. It clarified that Kalia had made no statements about Chinese forces occupying territory in Arunachal Pradesh or Indian troops being denied supplies.
In its fact-check issued on October 25, the Army said the manipulated clip attempted to portray fabricated remarks as a leaked admission by a senior military officer. It described the video as synthetically generated content intended to spread military disinformation and create public panic.
The Army urged social media users to verify original footage before sharing unverified clips, warning that manipulated content could mislead the public on matters concerning national security.
