Army says viral China videos show trade traffic and altered remarks
Manipulated footage makes routine border activity appear like military escalation.
Overview
Two videos shared by were presented as proof that Chinese forces had entered India, taken parts of Arunachal Pradesh and disrupted supplies to Indian troops. The Army said both claims were false. One video showed on the authorised in Sikkim, not a military crossing. The other used real footage from a 27 October 2023 briefing in Kupwara by . Its voice and lip movements were digitally changed to make him discuss Arunachal Pradesh.
The videos have triggered a political fight over who is responsible. Kiren Rijiju demanded an apology from Congress. The opposition’s response, and any deletion, correction or legal action, will shape what happens next. The episode shows how real footage can be misused. It also shows how can make false military claims seem believable, increasing pressure on political parties and platforms to check posts before sharing them.
Timeline
The political dispute shifted from alleged Chinese incursions to accountability for misinformation
After the Army’s clarification, the central dispute no longer concerned verified evidence of a Chinese advance, but responsibility for publishing and amplifying the claims. Reporting identified the underlying material as either routine border-trade footage or manipulated archival remarks. The episode left the public response focused on verification, , and possible political or legal accountability.
Kiren Rijiju demanded a Congress apology after the Army rejected the videos
Union minister Kiren Rijiju accused Congress of spreading to damage the Indian Army’s reputation. He demanded that the party apologise to the nation and described the circulation of the claims as a campaign benefiting India’s adversaries. Other BJP leaders also criticised Congress over the posts.
The Army formally debunked both videos as misleading and manipulated
The rejected the claims that Chinese forces had entered Indian territory or taken Arunachal land. It distinguished authentic footage used out of context, the Nathu La trade video, from digitally altered footage, the Kalia video. The public clarification became the central verified account of the episode.
The Army traced the Arunachal video to altered footage of a 2023 Kupwara briefing
The Army said the second clip used genuine archival footage of then Major General Girish Kalia speaking at a Kupwara briefing on 2023-10-27 about infiltration across the . Digital manipulation, including synthetic voice or lip-sync content, falsely made him discuss Chinese control of Arunachal Pradesh and shortages affecting Indian troops.
The Army identified the alleged Chinese incursion footage as authorised Nathu La trade traffic
The Indian Army said the first video showed JAC-branded commercial vehicles at in Sikkim. is an authorised India-China border trade route, not evidence of a military crossing. The Army said routine commercial movement had been misrepresented as a Chinese intrusion.
Congress spokesperson Ritu Choudhary shared videos claiming Chinese forces entered India and seized Arunachal areas
Choudhary circulated one video as evidence that Chinese vehicles had entered Indian territory and another as proof that China had taken control of parts of Arunachal Pradesh. The posts also suggested that Indian troops were being denied essential supplies. The claims triggered a public dispute over the Army and China policy.