A video of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is being widely circulated on social media, accompanied by the claim that he issued a strong warning to Pakistan in connection with the protests held at Jantar Mantar.
In the viral clip, he can allegedly be heard saying: “We lost a capable minister because of the protests at Jantar Mantar. Now it is time for Pakistan to cry. Just watch what happens in PoK in the next few days.”
The video is being shared as evidence that Rajnath Singh linked the protests at Jantar Mantar to Pakistan and threatened action in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The clip was also shared by a user named ‘The Whistle Blower’, described as a Pakistani propaganda handle.
Fact Check
Times Headline investigated the viral claim and found it to be false. A reverse image search led to the original video uploaded on the official X account of news agency ANI. The footage shows Defence Minister Rajnath Singh addressing a gathering during a Kargil Vijay Diwas event.
In the original speech, Rajnath Singh says: “Our intention is clear. There will be no talks with Pakistan. If there are any talks, they will only be about PoK, which is a part of India and is under Pakistan’s illegal occupation.”
A comparison of the original footage with the viral clip makes it clear that Rajnath Singh does not mention the protests at Jantar Mantar or the resignation of any minister in his actual speech. The statements heard in the viral clip are also not part of his original address.
To further verify the claim, Times Headline reviewed reports published by ‘The Times of India’ and ‘The Hindu’. Both reports quoted Rajnath Singh as saying that Pakistan-occupied Kashmir is an integral part of India. He also warned that any attempt to undermine India’s sovereignty would receive a decisive response from the Indian Armed Forces.
While referring to ‘Operation Sindoor’, Rajnath Singh said its success had demonstrated that India is capable of responding to Pakistan’s provocative actions with a strong response that Pakistan could not even imagine.
The viral video was also examined using AI detection tools, including ‘Detect Video AI’ and ‘Deepfake-o-Meter’. The analysis conducted through both platforms indicated signs of manipulation in the viral clip, including possible AI-generated or altered audio.
For further verification, Times Headline also contacted AI expert Kumar Aniket. After examining the viral clip, he found that the audio had been edited and did not match Rajnath Singh’s original speech.
Based on the findings, it is clear that the viral video uses genuine visuals from Rajnath Singh’s speech, but the original audio has been removed and replaced with fabricated content. As a result, statements that were never made by the Defence Minister have been falsely attributed to him.
Conclusion
The Times Headline fact check found the viral claim to be false. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh did not say that “we lost a capable minister because of the protests at Jantar Mantar due to Pakistan,” nor did he threaten to take action in PoK.
The viral clip appears to use original video footage while replacing the actual audio with fabricated content. Therefore, the claim being circulated by the social media user is misleading.