Fake AI video of CDS Gen Subramani on Jantar Mantar debunked
Synopsis
Pakistani propaganda accounts weaponised a deepfake of India's top military officer, falsely claiming 30,000 soldiers resigned over Jantar Mantar protests. PIB Fact Check swiftly debunked it by releasing the original video — a routine Durand Cup invitation. The episode underscores how AI-generated disinformation is now being deployed to exploit domestic political flashpoints and erode trust in the armed forces.
Key Takeaways
PIB Fact Check on 25 July flagged an AI-generated deepfake video falsely attributed to CDS General N.S.
The fake video falsely claims 30,000 Indian Army jawans resigned over protests at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi .
The video is being spread by Pakistani propaganda accounts , according to PIB Fact Check.
The original footage shows General Subramani inviting citizens to the IndianOil Durand Cup , co-hosted across five cities from 25 July to 23 August .
Citizens can report suspicious content to PIB Fact Check at +91 8799711259 or factcheck@pib.gov.in .
The government's PIB Fact Check unit on Saturday, 25 July confirmed that Pakistani propaganda accounts are actively circulating an AI-generated deepfake video falsely depicting Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General N.S. Raja Subramani claiming that 30,000 Indian Army jawans had resigned over the ongoing protests at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi. The video is entirely fabricated, and the CDS made no such statement, officials clarified.
What the Fake Video Claims
In the digitally manipulated clip, General Subramani is falsely shown saying: 'The government needs to be lenient towards the students. More than 30,000 Indian Army personnel have resigned because they say their children were beaten with sticks at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. They are refusing to serve the Indian government. This is becoming a catastrophe, and I request Prime Minister Narendra Modi to step in and ask the Education Minister to resign. Otherwise, our armed forces will be divided.'
No such resignation wave has occurred, and no official communication from the Indian Army or the Ministry of Defence corroborates the claim.
What PIB Fact Check Said
PIB Fact Check posted on social media platform X: 'Pakistani propaganda accounts are circulating a video of the Chief of Defence Staff, General N.S. Raja Subramani, in which he claims that 30,000 Army jawans have resigned over protests at Jantar Mantar. This video is Fake and AI-generated. The Chief of Defence Staff did not make any such statement.'
The unit also shared the original, unaltered video to counter the disinformation. In the authentic clip, General Subramani is seen inviting citizens to the IndianOil Durand Cup, saying: 'Dear friends, as the curtain rises on the IndianOil Durand Cup, it is my distinct honour and pleasure to invite you to the oldest football tournament.'
The Real Video: Durand Cup Invite
The genuine footage shows the CDS announcing that Asia's oldest football tournament would be co-hosted across five cities — Kolkata, Imphal, Shillong, Guwahati, and, for the first time, Ranchi — from 25 July to 23 August. General Subramani also noted that President Droupadi Murmu had unveiled the tournament trophy earlier that month, reaffirming the Durand Cup's legacy.
How to Report Suspicious Content
PIB Fact Check urged citizens to stay vigilant and rely exclusively on verified official sources. It advised the public to flag suspicious content related to the Government of India by contacting PIB Fact Check at +91 8799711259 or writing to factcheck@pib.gov.in. This is part of a broader government effort to counter cross-border disinformation campaigns that exploit domestic political events to stoke civil unrest.
Notably, this is not the first instance of AI-generated deepfakes targeting senior Indian defence officials. As generative AI tools become more accessible, security agencies have repeatedly warned of their potential misuse to undermine public trust in the armed forces.
Point of View
Removing any ambiguity. The episode, however, raises a harder question that a fact-check post cannot answer — how many people saw the deepfake before the rebuttal, and across which platforms beyond X? India's disinformation response infrastructure is improving, but it remains reactive. The Subramani deepfake is a signal that adversarial actors are now targeting the civil-military trust interface, not just electoral politics.
NationPress
25 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the fake video of CDS General Subramani claim?
The AI-generated deepfake falsely shows CDS General N.S. Raja Subramani claiming that 30,000 Indian Army jawans resigned over protests at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi, and demanding that Prime Minister Modi ask the Education Minister to resign. PIB Fact Check has confirmed the video is entirely fabricated and that the CDS made no such statement.
Who is spreading the fake CDS Subramani video?
According to PIB Fact Check, Pakistani propaganda accounts are responsible for circulating the deepfake video on social media. The government has not attributed the content to any specific state actor beyond this characterisation.
What is shown in the real, original video of General Subramani?
The authentic video shows CDS General N.S. Raja Subramani inviting the public to the IndianOil Durand Cup football tournament, which is co-hosted across Kolkata, Imphal, Shillong, Guwahati, and Ranchi from 25 July to 23 August. It has no connection to the Jantar Mantar protests.
How can citizens report AI-generated fake videos about the government?
PIB Fact Check advises citizens to report suspicious content related to the Government of India by calling +91 8799711259 or emailing factcheck@pib.gov.in. The unit also recommends relying only on verified official sources for information.
Is it true that 30,000 Indian Army jawans have resigned?
No. The claim is false and has been officially debunked by PIB Fact Check. No such mass resignation has occurred, and neither the Indian Army nor the Ministry of Defence has issued any communication supporting the claim.
