Union Minister Kiren Rijiju branded the Congress party's actions as "treacherous" and on par with the "vile deeds of our enemies" after the Indian Army dismantled a viral video alleging Chinese military incursion. The controversy ignited when National Spokesperson Ritu Chaudhary and Arunachal Pradesh Congress President Bosiram Siram circulated clips claiming People's Liberation Army (PLA) vehicles had penetrated 40 to 50 kilometers into Upper Subansiri district. The Army’s rapid fact-check revealed the first clip showed authorized commercial vehicles at a border trade point, while the second was an AI-manipulated edit of an Army officer’s remarks designed to fabricate a narrative of occupation.
Rijiju took to X to demand a public apology, arguing the party was "tarnishing" the reputation of the armed forces. "The Congress party is carrying out a despicable campaign on behalf of India’s enemies," he wrote, framing the misinformation as a direct threat to national security. The minister’s language was uncharacteristically sharp, elevating a social media dispute to a matter of state integrity.
The Indian Youth Congress (IYC) did not let the criticism stand. In a swift counter-strike on X, the IYC accused Rijiju of hypocrisy, pointing out that he had shared the exact same video prior to the Army’s clarification. "There is a limit to hypocrisy," the IYC post read, challenging the Union Minister to account for his own amplification of the debunked material before demanding accountability from others.
The Army’s technical breakdown of the footage serves as a stark reminder of the weaponization of AI in political discourse. As the debate shifts from the border to the parliamentary floor, pressure mounts on the Congress leadership to issue a formal retraction. The next 48 hours will determine whether this remains a social media skirmish or escalates into a broader legislative inquiry into misinformation protocols.