Union Minister Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday demanded an apology from the Congress after the Indian Army debunked two videos shared by party spokesperson Ritu Choudhary. The videos falsely claimed Chinese incursions into Indian territory and Chinese control over parts of Arunachal Pradesh.

One video allegedly showed Chinese vehicles entering Indian territory. The other used manipulated footage of a senior Army officer to suggest that China had occupied parts of Arunachal Pradesh and that Indian troops were being denied essential supplies.

The Army clarified that the first video showed Chinese commercial vehicles at Nathu La Pass in Sikkim, an authorised India-China border trade point, and not a military intrusion.

“The movement of commercial vehicles at an authorised border trade route is being misrepresented as evidence of a Chinese military intrusion," it said.

The second video featured a manipulated clip of Lieutenant General Girish Kalia, General Officer Commanding of Spear Corps. The Army said the original footage came from a press briefing in Kupwara, Jammu and Kashmir, on October 27, 2023, about infiltration attempts across the Line of Control.

The officer had not made any statements about Chinese control over Arunachal Pradesh or the alleged denial of supplies to Indian troops.

“The original footage was from a press briefing in Kupwara, Jammu and Kashmir, on 27 October, 2023, concerning infiltration attempts across the Line of Control. He made no such statements about Chinese control over Arunachal Pradesh or denial of supplies to the Indian Army," the Army said in a post.

Rijiju, who represents Arunachal Pradesh in the Lok Sabha, criticised the Congress for circulating the videos and accused it of damaging the reputation of the armed forces.

“Congress Party must apologise to the nation for spreading fake AI video to tarnish the image of Indian Army. This is a treacherous act and is on par with the vile deeds of our enemies. The Congress Party is running a despicable campaign on behalf of India’s enemies," he said.

BJP spokesperson CR Kesavan also attacked the Congress over the incident, accusing its leaders of attempting to discredit the armed forces by sharing manipulated content.

“Congress Party leaders disseminating a deepfake video to malign our valiant armed forces once again proves beyond doubt the vile Sena virodhi/anti-Army mindset of the party. The Congress has been a serial offender when it comes to tarnishing the image and demeaning the dignity of our Armed Forces," Kesavan posted on X.