Pakistani deepfake campaign shifts focus to PM Modi to reignite student protests

New Delhi, Aug 1 (AHN) The Indian Intelligence agencies have flagged a sudden increase in the number of deepfake videos with a specific intention of targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The intention of such videos is to instigate the youth into targeting the PM.

There are scores of such videos that are in circulation claiming that the PM is looking to take stringent action against students who took part in the recent protests.

Almost all videos that the Pakistani handles are trying to push into the online space only target PM Modi and how he wants to take action against the students.

An Intelligence Bureau official said that this is systematic targeting with the clear intention to get the students on the streets. They are trying to incite the students to return to the streets and this time around only target the PM.

During the recent protests, the students were more focussed around the NEET paper leaks and once action was taken by the Union Government against former Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, the situation calmed down.

The official added that the Pakistani handles are singling out PM Modi this time around and they hope that through the students they can effect a regime change.

The government had made it clear that no coercive measures or legal action would be taken against students who took part in peaceful protests. Delhi, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam and Maharashtra had given the students this assurance last week.

On Thursday, the Delhi government clarified that no adverse legal action is being taken against students who took part in the NEET-UG protests in the national Capital.

It also ordered the closure of proceedings in 13 FIRs that were registered in connection with the demonstrations.

An official said that the government has clearly signalled that it wants a solution and not a confrontation. This has upset the ISI-backed elements and has led them to ramp up fake videos and claims.

These elements have circulated several deepfake videos of the PM in which he is heard saying that strict action would be taken against those students who protested at Jantar Mantar.

Those who protested against the BJP government will face the consequences, the PM is heard saying in this altered video.

Many Pakistani handles have used the video of the PM in which he had said that action would be taken against the paper mafia. He thanked the students for sending out positive and constructive suggestions regarding the examination process.

In the latest clip the PM appealed for restraint and forgiveness after abusive slogans were directed at him during the protests.

"Abuses don’t solve anything. Let us guide the misguided and let us work together. Let us work for Bharat," PM Modi had also said.

Another official said that the frustrations of the Pakistanis is that the government managed to find a solution and the protests came to an end. They would have hoped that the protests continued longer so that this would have shaken the establishment.

The official said that this is a part of Pakistan’s larger game to shake the people’s faith in a democratically elected government.

The decision to ramp up the circulation of such fake videos with the intention of creating trouble in India is also a diversionary tactic from their own problems in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK), Balochistan and Khyber Paktunkhwa (KP), the official said.

A couple of weeks back these same handles would put out deepfake videos mainly about the Indian Army. However the recent pattern suggests that they are looking to target the PM alone in a bid to cause confusion and hatred in the minds of the students, the officials say.

More such attempts would be made in the days to come and the people, especially the students must not fall into the trap of these Pakistani based social media handles, officials also note.