Mohammed Zubair, co-founder of Islamo-leftist propaganda rag Alt News, is facing intense criticism for sharing a deepfake video of Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi that falsely depicted him announcing a plan to reduce non-Hindu soldiers by 50% by 2028.
The video, which went viral on social media, lacked any AI watermark or contextual disclaimer, leading to accusations that Zubair deliberately amplified misinformation and incited communal tension.
The incident began when Zubair posted the video on X (formerly Twitter) on November 15, 2025, without any indication that it was AI-generated. The caption, which questioned whether the Army Chief had made such statements, further fueled the perception that the content was authentic.
This omission of critical context and the absence of an AI mark is being seen as a deliberate attempt to exploit the video’s potential to spread misinformation rapidly.
Prominent voices, including Major Gaurav Arya (Retd), have condemned Zubair for what they describe as a “reckless and dangerous” act.
Zubair’s failure to disclose the video’s fabricated nature from the outset was a calculated move to engage his audience and incite discord.
“This is not fact-checking; it’s misinformation with intent,” Arya stated, referencing Zubair’s history of controversies involving his fact-checking methods.
The video’s virality coincided with heightened global concerns about deepfake technology, particularly following recent demands by watchdog groups like Public Citizen for OpenAI to withdraw its AI video app Sora due to safety risks.
Alt News itself, later confirmed the video was a deepfake, but the damage had already been done. The absence of an AI mark or contextual disclaimer allowed the video to spread unchecked, exacerbating the problem of misinformation on social media, where fake news can disseminate faster than accurate information.
On the other hand, Alt News, widely cited among left-leaning circles as a “fact-checking” portal, has not renewed its International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) certification, which expired on 26 April 2020. Despite this, the website continues to present itself as a credible authority on misinformation, publishing content under the banner of “fact verification” while selectively targeting certain issues.
Zubair had recently spread misinformation against Doordarshan News (DD News) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, insinuating that the state broadcaster had advance knowledge of an NDA victory in Bihar.
Zubair, claimed that USAID’s $21 million voter turnout funding was meant for Bangladesh and not India are false, as official U.S. records show the funding was explicitly allocated for voter turnout efforts in India, exposing intentional misinformation.
Zubair is known for his notoriety in weaponizing an edited clip of a news panel discussion of former BJP leader Nupur Sharma. By isolating Sharma’s remarks and amplifying them across social media without the provocative context from other panelists, he single-handedly painted a target on her back for his Islamists gang.
