PIB Debunks AI Deepfake of Army Chief, Warns of Pakistani Propaganda

In a post on X, the official handle PIB Fact Check said that certain Pakistani propaganda accounts were spreading fabricated allegations that, on the orders of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Vice Chief of Navy Sanjay Vatsayan assisted in an attack on an Iranian ship and that Naval Chief Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi was preparing to resign.

The PIB categorically dismissed these claims as "fake", stating that they are part of an ongoing disinformation campaign targeting India.

"Pakistani propaganda account is spreading false claims that, on the orders of India's Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, the Vice Chief of Navy Sanjay Vatsayan assisted in an attack on an Iranian ship and that Naval Chief Dinesh Kumar Tripathi is preparing to resign," PIB Fact Check said.

It clarified that the allegations are completely baseless and urged citizens to rely only on official government sources for credible information.

In a separate alert, PIB also warned about a digitally manipulated video of Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi that is being circulated online with fabricated statements.

According to the fact-checking unit, the video falsely claims that General Dwivedi said that when an Iranian ship entered international waters, India, as a strategic ally of Israel, had a duty to inform Israel about the ship's exact location as part of a "newer strategic deal".

PIB Fact Check clarified that the clip is an AI-generated deepfake and that the Army Chief has made no such statement.

"Beware! This is an AI-generated deepfake video shared to mislead the public," the PIB Fact Check post said, adding that the video has been digitally manipulated.

The agency also shared a link to the original, unedited clip of General Dwivedi's remarks from the Raisina Dialogue 2026 interaction to counter the misinformation.

PIB urged citizens to remain vigilant against such deceptive content and advised them to report suspicious posts through official channels.

"If you come across such dubious content, please report it immediately," the fact-checking unit said, providing a WhatsApp helpline number (+91 8799711259) and an email address ([factcheck@pib.gov.in](mailto:factcheck@pib.gov.in)) for reporting misinformation.

Authorities have repeatedly warned that deepfake videos and AI-manipulated content are increasingly being used to spread propaganda and create confusion, especially during sensitive geopolitical situations.

- IANS