RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat Falsely Portrayed in Fake Video About Army ‘Saffronisation’

RSS Chief’s Alleged Army “Saffronisation” Statement Exposed as Deepfake

A viral video purportedly showing Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat calling for the “saffronisation” of the Indian Army has been conclusively debunked as a sophisticated fake by fact-checking organization Vishvas News.

The manipulated clip, which had gained significant traction on social media platforms, falsely depicted Bhagwat advocating for the removal of non-Hindus from military service. In the doctored footage, a voice mimicking Bhagwat claimed he had instructed Prime Minister Narendra Modi to purge “more than 50% of non-caste Hindus from the Indian Army by 2028” or face replacement by Yogi Adityanath.

Vishvas News conducted a thorough investigation that revealed the video was created by tampering with genuine footage of a speech Bhagwat delivered in Kolkata on December 21, 2025. The fact-checkers immediately noticed discrepancies between Bhagwat’s authentic speaking voice and the voice heard in the viral clip.

Using advanced digital forensic techniques, investigators extracted key frames from the video and located the original source footage from CNN-News18 and ANI News. A comparative analysis confirmed the original 10-minute speech contained no statements resembling those in the viral version.

To further verify their findings, Vishvas News employed two independent AI detection tools. Aurigin.ai, a Swiss deep-tech company specializing in audio deepfake detection, indicated a 59% probability that the audio was artificially generated. A second tool, Truth Scan, delivered an even more definitive result, indicating a 99% probability of AI manipulation.

“This is a clear case of audio manipulation using deepfake technology,” said a digital forensics expert who reviewed the findings. “The perpetrators have taken genuine video footage but replaced the original audio with artificially generated content designed to inflame communal tensions.”

The investigation also included direct outreach to RSS officials. Rajiv Tuli, former Delhi provincial publicity head for RSS and current chairman of RSS-affiliated publication Suruchi Prakashan, categorically denied the statements attributed to Bhagwat, confirming the video was fabricated.

This incident highlights the growing sophistication of deepfake technology and its potential to spread misinformation, particularly concerning sensitive political and communal matters. Security analysts have warned that India may face an increasing number of such deepfake videos as the country approaches major election cycles.

The Facebook account responsible for spreading the fake video, identified as “Bamcef Kinwat District,” has approximately 600 followers. Digital rights advocates note that such targeted disinformation campaigns often aim to exacerbate existing social divisions or influence public opinion through manufactured controversy.

Media literacy experts emphasize that viewers should be particularly vigilant about videos containing inflammatory statements from public figures, especially when they appear to dramatically contradict their established positions or use unusually provocative language.

This case represents part of a troubling global trend where deepfake technology is increasingly being deployed to create convincing but entirely fabricated content featuring public figures. Technology companies and government agencies worldwide are working to develop more sophisticated detection tools to combat such deceptive content before it can spread widely on social platforms.