AI Deepfake Debunked: Viral Clip of Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai Criticising Modi Is Fabricated

Short viral clip of retired army officer is an AI‑generated fake

A 35‑second video circulating on social media that appears to show Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai (Retd) sharply criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is a digitally altered deepfake, multiple checks show.

What the clip claims

The video, shared on X on October 23, 2025, purports to show Ghai in full uniform at a podium saying he is deeply concerned that the growing influence of “saffron politics” is corroding the core values of the Indian Army and warning that any saffronisation or politicisation of the armed forces will destroy morale.

Why it’s false

Careful examination links the short clip to an authentic Republic TV broadcast published on YouTube on October 18, 2025 titled “Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai LIVE On India's Biggest Forces First Conclave.” In the original appearance Ghai discussed military preparedness, praised the precision and escalation control of "Operation Sindoor" and spoke about joint commands, technology‑driven warfare and countering misinformation. He did not criticise the government or raise allegations of politicisation.

Several clear signs show the circulating clip was manipulated:

• Mismatched lip sync: Ghai’s lip movements do not align with the audio.
• Graphic inconsistencies: the Republic TV logo label that reads DEFENCE intermittently devolves into unreadable characters.
• Background motion: the original broadcast shows a moving background graphic while the viral short uses a static background.
• Source tracing: reverse image searches of keyframes point to the longer Republic TV YouTube segment as the original footage.
• AI detection: an analysis using Hive’s AI detection tool returned a 99.5% probability that the clip was AI‑generated.

Context

The item appears amid broader debates about the increasing influence of Hindu nationalist ideas under Prime Minister Modi and the BJP since 2014. Critics argue some policies, including the 2019 Citizenship Amendment Act, have raised concerns about religious discrimination and the erosion of India’s secular framework. Such political tensions make deepfakes that appear to involve senior military figures particularly sensitive and potentially destabilising.

Verification and responses

Indian fact‑checking outlet Factly and other verification teams have published debunks. AFP has also produced a practical guide to spotting AI‑generated content; the indicators used here — poor lip sync, inconsistent on‑screen graphics and clear source tracing to a longer broadcast — match standard warning signs of manipulated video.

Bottom line: The short viral clip that appears to show Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai criticising PM Modi and the BJP is a digitally altered version of an actual televised appearance in which he discussed military preparedness and operations and made no partisan remarks.