Claim: A viral video shows Lt Gen Girish Kalia stating that China captured three areas in Arunachal Pradesh and that Indian troops were denied supplies
Fact: The video is digitally manipulated. The original footage is from a 27 October 2023 press briefing in Kupwara, Jammu and Kashmir, during which Kalia discussed infiltration attempts along the Line of Control. He made no such remarks about Arunachal Pradesh or China.
On 26 October 2026, a Facebook page called Eagle Eye Pakistan shared a reel purportedly showing Indian Army officer Lt Gen Girish Kalia admitting that China had taken control of Asaphila, Longju, and Taksing Circle in Arunachal Pradesh. The video carries ANI branding.
The accompanying caption makes the same allegation and claims that Indian authorities had instructed paramilitary forces to be deployed against Arunachal Pradesh’s Gen Z protesters instead of confronting China. It also alleges that mainstream media had withheld the purported statement before it was leaked.
The caption says:
“بریکنگ 🔥 سپیئر کور (3 کور) کے جنرل آفیسر کمانڈنگ (GOC) لیفٹیننٹ جنرل گریش کالیا (AVSM, VSM) نے اروناچل پردیش کے حوالے سے سچائی سامنے رکھتے ہوئے کہا ہے کہ یہ واقعی شرمناک ہے کہ جارح چین نے اروناچل پردیش کے علاقوں اسافیلا، لونگجُو اور ٹیکسنگ سرکل پر کنٹرول حاصل کر لیا ہے، اور ہم مرکزی حکومت سے رسد کی مسلسل درخواست کر رہے ہیں لیکن ہمیں بتایا جا رہا ہے کہ چین کے خلاف استعمال کرنے کے بجائے نیم فوجی دستوں کو اروناچل پردیش کی Gen Z کے خلاف تعینات کیا جانا چاہیے، جب کہ گودی میڈیا نے یہ خبر نہیں چلائی لیکن اسے لیک کر دیا گیا ہے۔”
[Translation: “Breaking 🔥 The General Officer Commanding (GOC) of Spear Corps (3 Corps), Lt Gen Girish Kalia (AVSM, VSM), has revealed the truth about Arunachal Pradesh, stating that it is indeed shameful that aggressor China has taken control of Asaphila, Longju, and Taksing Circle in Arunachal Pradesh. We have been repeatedly requesting supplies from the central government, but are being told that paramilitary forces should be deployed against Arunachal Pradesh’s Gen Z instead of being used against China. Meanwhile, Godi media did not broadcast this news, but it has been leaked.”]
Screenshot of the viral Facebook reel showing the manipulated footage and remarks attributed to Lt Gen Girish Kalia.
Border tensions and protests in Arunachal Pradesh
The manipulated video circulated amid reports of renewed tensions along the India-China border and protests in Arunachal Pradesh.
According to The Indian Express, on 23 October 2026, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police Director General Shatrujeet Kapur confirmed that Indian and Chinese troops had faced off at multiple locations in Arunachal Pradesh. The report separately described tensions near Asaphila and Taksing and noted that Longju, which India claims as its territory, has been under Chinese control since 1959.
Meanwhile, protests against the proposed 11,200MW Siang Upper Multipurpose Project escalated in Pasighat on 23 October. Demonstrators opposed the project over concerns about displacement, environmental damage, and the loss of ancestral land. Following the unrest, the central government deployed two Rapid Action Force companies to Arunachal Pradesh.
Fact or Fiction?
Original footage dates back to October 2023
Soch Fact Check examined the claims attributed to Kalia and traced the source of the video to an earlier military briefing. A keyword search identified an ANI video published on X on 27 October 2023. The original recording shows Kalia, who was then a major general and the general officer commanding of the Indian Army’s 28 Infantry Division, addressing journalists in Kupwara, Jammu and Kashmir.
A side-by-side comparison of the viral video and ANI’s original footage shows matching visuals, including Kalia’s uniform, name badge, microphone, and background. This confirms that the viral clip uses footage from the October 2023 briefing, although the remarks attributed to him do not appear in the original recording.
Comparison of the viral video (left) and ANI’s original footage from 27 October 2023 (right), showing matching visuals, including Kalia’s uniform, name badge, and background.
In the original recording, Kalia discussed infiltration attempts along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir. He stated that Indian security forces had encountered 10 infiltration attempts during the preceding eight months, resulting in the killing of 27 militants and the recovery of weapons, military equipment, and narcotics. He also discussed a recent operation in the Machil sector and coordination between security forces.
An Indian News Service report published on 27 October 2023 independently documented the same briefing. Neither the original recording nor the contemporaneous report contains any mention of Chinese control over Asaphila, Longju, or Taksing Circle, shortages of military supplies, or instructions to deploy paramilitary forces against protesters in Arunachal Pradesh.
Screenshot of ANI’s original video, published on 27 October 2023, showing Kalia, then a major general, discussing infiltration attempts in Kupwara, Jammu and Kashmir.
Indian Army identifies manipulated recording
On 25 October 2026, the Indian Army’s official fact-checking account published a clarification on X addressing the viral clip. The account stated that the recording had been digitally altered to attribute fabricated remarks to the officer.
It identified the original material as the 27 October 2023 press briefing in Kupwara and stated that synthetic media had been used to make the officer appear to deliver statements he had not made.
The clarification specifically addressed the allegations concerning Chinese territorial control in Arunachal Pradesh and the denial of supplies to Indian Army personnel. The Indian Army also shared a link to ANI’s original 2023 recording, allowing viewers to examine the authentic statement.
Screenshot of the Indian Army’s official fact-check, which identifies the viral recording as digitally manipulated and links to the original footage.
Independent verification by BOOM
BOOM – an India-based independent news outlet that is also a signatory of the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) along with Soch Fact Check– also investigated the viral video on 26 October 2026. It traced the footage to the same October 2023 ANI recording and concluded that the video had been digitally manipulated.
Virality
We identified 17 Facebook posts, including 15 reels and two images, alongside two Instagram posts, two Threads posts, and six posts on X sharing the manipulated video or related claims.
Conclusion: The viral video was digitally manipulated to falsely attribute remarks about Chinese territorial control, military supplies, and the deployment of paramilitary forces against protesters to Lt Gen Girish Kalia. The original ANI footage, published on 27 October 2023, shows Kalia discussing infiltration attempts in Jammu and Kashmir. He made none of the remarks attributed to him in the viral clip.
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