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The Press Information Bureau (PIB) Fact Check unit has identified a digitally altered video circulating on social media through Pakistani propaganda accounts, falsely attributing statements to Lieutenant General Manjinder Singh, the Commander of the South Western Army.
The fake video claims 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. In the original video, recorded in Bikaner, Rajasthan, Lt Gen Singh can be heard saying, "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." https://x.com/PIBFactCheck/status/1984220794625605868 PIB further added that Lieutenant General Manjinder Singh has not made any such statement and that the AI-generated fake video is being circulated to mislead people and create distrust against the Indian Armed Forces. The altered video falsely attributes statements to Lt Gen Singh, claiming that he criticised the Indian Army's exercises as "political optics" and made remarks about serving the nation versus serving a party. In the altered video, Lt Gen Singh is shown saying, "We all know these so-called threshold exercises are being pushed for optics to boost the image for Bihar elections, but remember we serve India, not any party. Our duty is to defend the nation, not to become props in political theatre. They may try to saffronise our image, but the Indian Army belongs only to the Republic, not to Modi." The PIB warned that the AI-generated fake video is being circulated online to mislead people and create distrust against the Indian Armed Forces. Authorities have urged users to verify information before sharing such misleading content on social media. (ANI)
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