PIB Fact Check on Wednesday flagged a digitally-altered video of President Droupadi Murmu that is being circulated by Pakistani propaganda accounts with false claims alleging that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is using her as a prop to promote Rafale fighter jets.
In a post on social media platform X, PIB Fact Check clarified: "Pakistani propaganda accounts are circulating a digitally altered video of President Droupadi Murmu with false claims that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is using her as a prop to elevate Rafale PR."
The manipulated video features an artificial voice mimicking President Murmu, falsely claiming that she was being "blackmailed" by the PM Modi government to participate in Rafale-related promotions.
The fake clip includes statements such as: "I want to request the citizens of our country that Modi Ji's Hindutva government blackmailed me and ordered me to sit in Rafale... If anything happens to me, Modi Ji and his Hindutva politics will be responsible."
PIB Fact Check categorically dismissed these claims, asserting that "The President of India has NOT made any such statement."
It further warned that the video is AI-generated and shared with the intent to mislead the public.
The fact-checking unit also shared a link to the authentic, unedited video and urged users to report such misinformation immediately via official channels through WhatsApp at +91 8799711259 or email at factcheck@pib.gov.in.
This is not the first instance of AI-generated misinformation flagged by the PIB. On Monday, it also warned users about another AI-manipulated video featuring Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, which falsely promoted an "investment programme" promising returns of Rs 60,000 in 24 hours and Rs 10 lakh a month.
"A video on Facebook falsely shows Union Finance Minister @nsitharaman promoting an investment program that promises easy daily income. The Finance Minister or the Government of India has NOT launched or endorsed any such scheme," PIB Fact Check clarified in an official post.
The agency urged citizens to remain cautious of such "get-rich-quick traps", advising them to verify any claims before taking financial decisions.
"Don't fall for such get-rich-quick traps! Stay alert. Stay informed. Verify before you share," PIB warned.
PIB also advised users to check for signs of video manipulation — such as distorted lip movements, mismatched voice sync, inconsistent backgrounds, or fake logos — and to verify links, ensuring that official government websites always end with ".gov.in."
(With inputs from IANS)
