Congress national spokesperson Ritu Choudhary and multiple social media accounts circulated misleading videos claiming Chinese vehicles had entered Indian territory and that China had taken control of parts of Arunachal Pradesh, with one video also alleging that Indian Army troops were being denied essential supplies.
The Indian Army and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) debunked the claims, identifying the first video as footage of Chinese commercial vehicles at Nathu La Pass in Sikkim, an authorised India-China border trade point. The second video, which purported to show Lieutenant General Girish Kalia, General Officer Commanding of the Spear Corps, claiming that China had occupied parts of Arunachal Pradesh, was identified as a deepfake.
The episode has raised concerns about the circulation of Pakistan-origin disinformation targeting India’s military and the amplification of such content by Indian political accounts.
Army Debunks Both Videos
In its clarification on the Nathu La video, the Army said that Chinese commercial vehicles operating at an authorised border trade route were being misrepresented as evidence of a military intrusion. Trade at the location takes place under established bilateral agreements and regulated procedures.
🚨 Coordinated Inauthentic Behaviour Exposed
❌ Social media accounts are circulating a video showing Chinese vehicles near the India-China border, falsely portraying it as an unauthorised entry of Chinese vehicles into Indian territory. The misleading caption further alleges that mainstream Indian media is deliberately concealing the incident.
✅ The original footage is of the JAC-branded Chinese commercial vehicles at Nathu La Pass in Sikkim, a designated India-China border trade point.
✅ The movement of commercial vehicles at an authorised border trade route is being misrepresented as evidence of a Chinese military intrusion. Trade at Nathu La operates under established bilateral agreements, designated trading facilities and regulated procedures.
📍 @GoI_MeitY: The following 12 handles have been identified as circulating the same content between 0826 hrs and 1256 hrs on 26 October 2026: @VarisRajput01, @RituChoudhryINC, @AsdhirDubey, @imharshchhikara, @SunilYadav990, @ANKITVERMA90648, @Ravipandey4AAP, @rastrijans19021, @Pradeep_JAAT_00, @fahad_4884_, @vikrampanchal68 and @MohitArjun1.
♻️ Disinformation Pattern: Chinese commercial vehicles + Omission of authorised border trade context + False narrative of unauthorised Chinese entry + Coordinated posting = Misleading India-China border security narrative.
⚠️ Always check the location, original footage and official context before sharing.
#IndianArmy
#NathuLa
#Sikkim
#IndiaChinaBorder
#FactCheckIndia@adgpi
@easterncomd
@trishakticorps
@PIBFactCheck
@GoI_MeitY
@SpokespersonMoD— INDIAN ARMY FACT CHECK (@MythbusterXX) October 26, 2026
The second video falsely attributed remarks about Chinese control over Arunachal Pradesh and the alleged denial of supplies to Indian troops to Lt Gen Girish Kalia.
🚨 Detect the Deepfake
❌ A digitally altered video is being circulated with fabricated remarks attributed to Lt Gen Girish Kalia, claiming that China has taken control of Asaphila, Longjou and Taksing Circle in Arunachal Pradesh and that the Indian Army has been denied essential supplies. The misleading video attempts to portray fabricated statements as a leaked admission by a senior Indian Army officer.
✅ The video uses #SyntheticGeneratedInformation to falsely attribute remarks to Lt Gen Girish Kalia. The original footage relates to a press briefing delivered by then GOC 28 Infantry Division, Maj Gen Girish Kalia, in Kupwara, Jammu & Kashmir, on 27 October 2023. He addressed infiltration attempts across the Line of Control, reporting 10 foiled attempts, the elimination of 27 terrorists and the recovery of warlike stores and narcotics. He made no such statements about Chinese control over Arunachal Pradesh or denial of supplies to the Indian Army.
📍 Original Statement 🔗: https://t.co/7vQf7VjJHd
♻️ Disinformation Pattern: Old military briefing + Digitally manipulated remarks + False attribution + Fabricated territorial claims = Misleading military disinformation.
⚠️ Verify the original speech before amplifying manipulated videos.
#FactCheck #DetectTheDeepfake #IndianArmy #ArunachalPradesh #FakeNews
@adgpi
@easterncomd
@Spearcorps
@PIBFactCheck
@GoI_MeitY
@SpokespersonMoD— INDIAN ARMY FACT CHECK (@MythbusterXX) October 25, 2026
The Army clarified that the original footage was from a press briefing in Kupwara, Jammu and Kashmir, on 27 October 2023, concerning infiltration attempts across the Line of Control. Kalia had made no statements about Chinese control over Arunachal Pradesh or the denial of supplies to Indian troops.
12 X Handles Identified For Circulating The Same China Claim
MeitY identified 12 X handles that circulated the same misleading content between 8:26 am and 12:56 pm on 26 October 2026. The list included Congress spokesperson Ritu Choudhary’s account, @RituChoudhryINC, along with @VarisRajput01, @AsdhirDubey, @imharshchhikara, @SunilYadav990, @ANKITVERMA90648, @Ravipandey4AAP, @rastrijans19021, @Pradeep_JAAT_00, @fahad_4884_, @vikrampanchal68 and @MohitArjun1.
The pattern identified by MeitY involved footage of Chinese commercial vehicles, omission of the authorised border-trade context, claims of unauthorised Chinese entry and the circulation of the same content by multiple accounts.
The identification of these handles establishes that they circulated the misleading content during the specified period. It does not, by itself, establish that all 12 accounts were centrally coordinated or directed by a foreign intelligence agency.
NSUI Chief Defends The Claim Despite Deepfake Finding
As reported in NDTV, even after the Army identified the video featuring Lt Gen Kalia as a deepfake, NSUI chief Vinod Jakhar defended the claim made in it.
Speaking to NDTV, Jakhar said: “Even if the video is doctored, there is nothing wrong in what is being said in it. It is absolutely correct.”
He then questioned why forces were being deployed to stop youth protests in Delhi instead of being deployed in Arunachal Pradesh, where he alleged China was encroaching on Indian territory.
Jakhar’s remarks came despite the Army’s clarification that the officer shown in the video had made no such statements.
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