A digitally altered video circulating of South Western Army Commander Lieutenant General Manjinder Singh has been exposed by the Press Information Bureau’s (PIB) Fact Check unit. The fake clip, which has been widely circulated on social media by Pakistani propaganda handles, falsely attributes comments to Lt Gen Singh, claiming he had criticised the Indian Army’s military drills as mere “political optics to boost the image for the Bihar elections.”
According to the PIB Fact Check unit, the circulating video is entirely fabricated and created using artificial intelligence. The agency made it clear that Lt Gen Manjinder Singh has never issued any such statement. In fact, the video has been digitally altered to spread misinformation and malign the reputation of the Indian Army.
The fake video claimed that Lt Gen Singh criticised the Indian Army's exercises as "political optics to boost the image for the Bihar elections."
The PIB Fact Check unit clarified that the video is fake and AI-generated, and that Lt Gen Manjinder Singh has not made any such claim.
In the original video, Lt Gen Singh is heard discussing the Indian Army's preparedness and training, emphasising the importance of night training and technological advancements.
The video, recorded in Bikaner, Rajasthan, presents an entirely different message. In the footage, Lt Gen Singh can be heard highlighting the Indian Army’s operational readiness and commitment to enhancing its capabilities. He said, “The Indian Army is following the political direction of the ‘New Normal’, under which any terror act on the country will be considered an ‘act of war’. The military has to prepare for any such activities. A lot of technologies and capabilities have been introduced for this. Our focus is on maximum night training; hence, we are carrying out 70% of the training at night and 30% during the day.”
The PIB Fact Check unit issued a clear warning about the deepfake video, labeling it as an example of deliberate disinformation being spread through online networks. The post from the official handle read: "Deepfake Video Alert...Pakistani propaganda accounts are circulating a digitally altered video of South Western Army Commander Lt Gen Manjinder Singh with false claims…”
Through its clarification, PIB reiterated that the original remarks by Lt Gen Singh were purely focused on preparedness, technological integration, and training priorities -- not politics. The agency urged users to verify information before sharing and to stay alert against AI-generated misinformation.
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