A video is being shared on social media showing an Indian official addressing a gathering. The video is accompanied by a claim that the Indian official allegedly defended the supply of Indian weapons to Israel at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).In the video, the official is allegedly heard saying: “It is unfortunate that people die in wars, but weapons are necessary, and India is merely fulfilling its defence export commitments. That is said to be the reason. But Amnesty International has examined 2,596 shipments of small arms, ammunition and military vehicles sent by India to Israel since October 2023, including shipments from government-owned companies. Warnings have been issued about war crimes and genocide, but these are merely allegations. We call it defence exports. It is not our problem.”
Sharing the video, an X user wrote, “India’s Permanent Representative and Ambassador to the United Nations, Harish Parvathaneni, speaking at the UNSC meeting on the situation in Afghanistan. Amnesty International analysed 2,596 shipments sent by India to Israel since October 2023.”
Fact check:
The DFRAC investigation found that the claim is misleading and that the viral video has been AI-manipulated. In the original video, India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Parvathaneni Harish, did not make any statement resembling the remarks shown in the viral video. AI expert Kumar Aniket also analysed the viral video and identified it as AI-manipulated.
To verify the video, the DFRAC team first converted it into keyframes and conducted a reverse image search using Google Lens. We found the original video posted on the official X account of India’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations. The post was accompanied by the caption: “#IndiaAtUN Statement by Permanent Representative Parvathaneni Harish at the UN Security Council Quarterly Meeting on the Situation in Afghanistan.”We reviewed Harish Parvathaneni’s complete statement and found no remarks resembling those in the viral video. Harish Parvathaneni did not mention the supply of weapons to Israel in his address
We found that Parvathaneni Harish spoke about the situation in Afghanistan and India’s relations with the country. We also found the text version of his statement on the official website of India’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations. Some excerpts from his speech read:“Being neighbours, the ties between Indians and Afghans predate modern maps and boundaries. The roads leading from Kabul to the plains of Hindustan were not only trade routes, but also corridors of ideas and knowledge, belief and faith. Over centuries, empires have risen and fallen in these lands, but the thread of friendship and kinship between Afghans and Indians has remained unbroken. This sentiment guides my country’s policy towards this nation. We stand for peace, stability and prosperity that can contribute to Afghanistan’s sustainable development, as demonstrated by our participation in the meetings of the Doha process, our strong bilateral development partnership and our efforts in regional initiatives.” The complete statement contains no remarks by Parvathaneni Harish resembling those shown in the viral video.
The DFRAC team further analysed the viral video using AI-detection tools, including Hive Moderation, Human Meter and AI Video Check. All three tools indicated signs of AI manipulation in the viral video. Hive Moderation found no evidence of video tampering but indicated that the speech in the video was AI-generated, with an 81.8% likelihood. Human Meter identified the video as a deepfake, stating that AI had been used to alter the words and lip movements to make the official appear to say something he did not actually say. The tool detected a 75% likelihood of AI manipulation. AI Video Check indicated that the viral video was 70.3% AI-manipulated.
For further verification, the DFRAC team contacted AI expert Kumar Aniket. After analysing the viral video, Aniket said that it contained several indicators of AI manipulation. According to him, the audio showed unnatural patterns in several sections of the speech. In particular, irregularities were observed in the pronunciation of words, changes in vocal intonation, breathing intervals and inconsistencies between spoken sentences. These characteristics indicate that the content had been AI-manipulated.
Conclusion:
The DFRAC fact-check establishes that India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Parvathaneni Harish, did not make the statements attributed to him in the viral video at the United Nations Security Council. The video has been AI-manipulated and is being circulated with a misleading claim.
| Claim Review | India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations made a statement regarding the supply of weapons to Israel. |
| Claim By | Social Media User |
| Fact check | AI-Generated |
Sources:
- Hive Moderation AI tool
- AIvideocheck AI tool
- Human Meter AI tool
- Expert Kumar Aniket Statement to DFRAC
- Permanent Mission of India,New York, Website
- X Post by India at UN, NY
