Govt debunks deepfake video of Defence Secretary, blames Pakistani propaganda

The government debunked a deepfake video falsely showing Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh claiming cyber systems were jammed, calling it Pakistani misinformation linked to propaganda accounts, amid heightened awareness following India’s counter-terror operation Operation Sindoor

New Delhi:  The Centre on Wednesday debunked an AI-generated deepfake video falsely showing Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh saying that India’s cyber systems were jammed on May 10 last year, attributing it to Pakistani propaganda accounts.

As India will mark the first anniversary of the successful military action — Operation Sindoor — against the high-value terror infrastructure in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Pakistan, the propaganda accounts of the neighbouring rogue nation are actively spreading fake information relating to last year’s conflict.

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In a post on X, the government’s PIB Fact Check stated, “Pakistani propaganda accounts are circulating a digitally altered video of Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh making false claims that Pakistan jammed India’s systems on May 10.”

The manipulated clip repurposes an original statement by the Secretary on India’s defence exports growth and global demand, with no mention of Pakistan or jamming incidents. The government also shared the original video and warned the citizens against believing this information.

“Beware! This is an AI-generated deepfake video being circulated to spread misinformation… Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh did NOT give any such statement… Don’t be misled by edited videos. Verify before sharing,” the government added.

On April 22, 2025, Pakistan-backed terrorists carried out the Pahalgam terror attack and brutally massacred 26 people. The attack was carried out by The Resistance Front, an offshoot of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba. The attackers singled out victims after asking about their religion, forcing them to recite the Islamic ‘kalima’ to identify non-Muslims.

Among those killed were 25 tourists and one local pony ride operator who tried to save the tourists. Several victims were newly married, and many were shot at close range in front of their families.

In response to the attack, Indian armed forces launched ‘Operation Sindoor’ on May 6 and 7, carrying out what officials described as a focused, measured and non-escalatory military action targeting high-value terror bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir.

‘Operation Sindoor’ was a significant demonstration of India’s military and strategic capability, combining both military and non-military measures. The operation successfully neutralised terrorist threats, deterred further aggression and reinforced India’s zero-tolerance policy towards terrorism while maintaining strategic restraint.