BJP slams Congress over deepfake videos on China, Arunachal Pradesh
Synopsis
The Indian Army has debunked multiple AI-generated and misrepresented videos falsely claiming Chinese military incursions into Arunachal Pradesh — videos shared by Congress leaders and amplified by Pakistan-linked accounts. The BJP has seized on the controversy to accuse the opposition of undermining national security for political gain, with Union Minister Kiren Rijiju demanding a formal apology.
Key Takeaways
BJP leader Nalin Kohli on 27 October accused Congress of circulating AI-generated videos falsely depicting Chinese military incursions into Indian territory.
The Indian Army clarified that viral footage showed Chinese commercial vehicles at Nathu La Pass, Sikkim — an authorised border trade route — not a military intrusion.
A second video, circulated by Pakistan-linked social media accounts , was traced to a counter-terrorism mock drill in Bengaluru in May 2026 , unrelated to Arunachal Pradesh .
A video falsely attributed to Lieutenant General Girish Kalia was actually from a press briefing in Kupwara, J&K , on 27 October 2023 , about LoC infiltration — not Chinese control.
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju condemned Congress and demanded a formal apology following the Army's public fact-checks.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and senior advocate Nalin Kohli on Tuesday, 27 October sharply criticised the Indian National Congress (Congress) for circulating AI-generated videos falsely claiming Chinese military incursions into Indian territory, accusing the opposition of weaponising national security concerns for electoral gain. The Indian Army has separately debunked multiple such videos, tracing their origins to misrepresented footage and Pakistan-linked social media accounts.
What Kohli Said
Kohli accused Congress leaders of posting the videos without verifying their authenticity. 'It is very unfortunate that the Congress party and its leaders tweet false things without even gathering information, even when it is against the national interest, to spread fear by saying, 'Look at what is happening between India and China.' This video itself is false. It is AI-generated and far from the truth. They posted it immediately without any application of mind,' he said.
He also invoked past controversies, pointing to Congress's criticism of Operation Sindoor, the Balakot airstrikes, and the surgical strikes, questioning whether the party consistently placed political interests above national ones. 'Do these Congress party leaders think it is right to put the national interest aside and do this for their own politics?' Kohli asked.
The Videos and the Army's Fact-Checks
The controversy centres on videos shared by a Congress leader and a Congress spokesperson from Bihar, Ritu Choudhary, who claimed in a post that Chinese vehicles had entered Indian territory. Another video falsely alleged that China had taken control of areas in Arunachal Pradesh and that the Indian Army was being denied essential supplies.
The Indian Army clarified that the footage showed Chinese commercial vehicles at Nathu La Pass in Sikkim — an authorised India-China border trade point — and bore no resemblance to a military intrusion. 'The movement of commercial vehicles at an authorised border trade route is being misrepresented as evidence of a Chinese military intrusion,' the Army stated.
In a separate fact-check issued on Sunday, the Army dismissed a video circulated by Pakistan-linked social media accounts purportedly showing Chinese soldiers searching Indian Army personnel in Arunachal Pradesh. The Army established that the footage was from a counter-terrorism mock drill conducted in Bengaluru in May 2026 and had no connection with Chinese forces or any military activity in Arunachal Pradesh.
The Girish Kalia Video
The Army also debunked a video featuring Lieutenant General Girish Kalia, General Officer Commanding of the Spear Corps, which falsely portrayed him as confirming Chinese control over parts of Arunachal Pradesh. According to the Army, the original footage was from a press briefing in Kupwara, Jammu and Kashmir, on 27 October 2023, concerning foiled infiltration attempts across the Line of Control (LoC). The officer made no statements about Chinese territorial control or the denial of supplies to Indian troops.
Government Response
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju also condemned the Congress, demanding a formal apology after the Indian Army publicly debunked the videos. Rijiju's intervention elevated the episode from a social media dispute to a formal political confrontation, with the ruling BJP framing it as a pattern of opposition conduct on sensitive defence matters.
Notably, this is not the first time deepfake or out-of-context videos involving India's borders have circulated on social media — but the Army's swift, detailed rebuttals in this instance mark an increasingly proactive approach to information warfare on sensitive geopolitical issues. How Congress responds to the Army's clarifications will shape the political fallout in the days ahead.
Point of View
Rapid fact-checks signal a deliberate institutional posture against information warfare — but they also hand the BJP a ready-made political weapon. The deeper concern is structural: deepfake technology has lowered the cost of manufacturing border-crisis narratives to near-zero, and India's political ecosystem has shown it will distribute them first and verify later. Congress's credibility on defence takes a hit, but the episode also exposes how easily even mainstream political actors can become amplifiers of adversarial disinformation. The real accountability question is not just who shared the videos, but what verification standards political parties are held to when national security is invoked.
NationPress
27 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What videos did Congress share about China and Arunachal Pradesh?
Congress leaders and Bihar Congress spokesperson Ritu Choudhary shared videos falsely claiming that Chinese vehicles had entered Indian territory and that China had taken control of parts of Arunachal Pradesh. The Indian Army debunked these as misrepresented footage from authorised trade routes and a 2026 mock drill in Bengaluru.
How did the Indian Army respond to the viral deepfake videos?
The Indian Army issued multiple fact-checks clarifying that the videos were fabricated or taken out of context. It identified one video as footage of Chinese commercial vehicles at Nathu La Pass — an authorised trade point — and another as footage from a counter-terrorism drill in Bengaluru in May 2026, with no link to Chinese forces in Arunachal Pradesh.
Who is Lieutenant General Girish Kalia and why was his video flagged?
Lieutenant General Girish Kalia is the General Officer Commanding of the Spear Corps. A video was falsely edited to suggest he confirmed Chinese control over Arunachal Pradesh; the Army established the original clip was from a press briefing in Kupwara, J&K, on 27 October 2023, about foiled LoC infiltrations — with no reference to China.
Why did the BJP accuse Congress of spreading misinformation?
BJP leader Nalin Kohli argued that Congress shared AI-generated and misrepresented videos without verification, using sensitive India-China border issues to spread fear and score political points. He also linked this to Congress's past criticism of Operation Sindoor, the Balakot airstrikes, and surgical strikes.
What did Union Minister Kiren Rijiju demand from Congress?
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju condemned Congress after the Indian Army publicly debunked the videos and demanded that the party issue a formal apology for sharing content that misrepresented the situation on India's borders.
