Border clashes <\/span>between Pakistan and Afghanistan in early October left more than 70 people dead, and tensions between the two remain high as ceasefire talks failed in November. However, a video circulating in social media posts apparently showing Indian leader Narendra Modi saying New Delhi would “use Afghanistan” to fight longtime rival Pakistan is in fact manipulated with AI. Footage of Modi’s original speech, given during a Diwali celebration, shows he made no mention of Afghanistan or its Taliban government.<\/p>\n “Breaking News: Indian journalist Geeta Biswas has released the censored portion of Narendra Modi’s speech, which was not allowed to be broadcast on any Indian media. Modi explained the full details of the next strategic breakthrough,” reads an Urdu-language X post<\/a> published on October 20, 2025.<\/p>\n The post features a video of Modi, dressed in an Indian Navy uniform and hat giving a speech on what looks like an aircraft carrier.<\/p>\n The 1:26-long clip starts with Modi saying: <\/span>“I want to say this, no soldier of India will be martyred on the border because we have made Afghanistan our servants. These people, for a few dollars, will lick my shoes.”<\/p>\n He then claims that India will use Afghans to fight against Pakistan to weaken it, and that the strategy is to pit the two Muslim countries against each other.<\/p>\n Screenshot taken on November 5, 2025, of the false X post with a red X added by AFP<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n The same clip was also shared on TikTok<\/a> and Facebook<\/span><\/a>, circulating after fighting between Pakistan and Afghanistan in early October killed <\/a>70 people, including around 50 Afghan civilians, according to the United Nations (archived link<\/a>).<\/p>\n The clashes were triggered by explosions in Kabul which the Taliban blamed<\/a> on Islamabad. Pakistan has not confirmed it was behind the attacks (archived link<\/a>).<\/p>\n Five more people were killed in cross-border fire<\/a> on November 6, while talks to finalise details of an October 19 truce in Turkey\u00a0failed<\/a> on November 8, with both sides blaming the other for the impasse (archived here<\/a> and here<\/a>).<\/p>\n Separately, rivals India and Pakistan had\u00a0engaged in the worst fighting<\/a> since 1999 in May, with missile, drone and artillery exchanges killing more than 70 people on both sides. (archived link<\/a>).<\/p>\n However, the clip of Modi’s speech has been altered with AI.<\/p>\n A\u00a0reverse image search<\/a> on Google using keyframes<\/a> from the circulating clip led to a YouTube video livestreamed <\/a>on October 20, 2025 by The Tribune newspaper titled “PM Modi’s speech during Diwali celebration with armed forces on board the INS Vikrant” (archived link<\/a>).<\/p>\n During the nearly two-hour speech, Modi spoke about the success of “Operation Sindoor”, India’s name for its missile strikes against what New Delhi termed “terrorist camps” in Pakistan during the conflict in May. He also praised the Indian Navy.<\/p>\n “INS Vikrant reflects the capability of India’s armed forces. Its very name gave Pakistan sleepless nights during Operation Sindoor,” Modi said.<\/span><\/p>\n He made no mention of Afghanistan, or using the Taliban to fight Pakistan.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n His speech was also reported<\/a> by Times of India, which did not mention Afghanistan either (archived link<\/a>).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n AFP ran the clip through the deepfake-o-meter<\/a> tool developed by University at Buffalo which found it to be 100 percent likely generated by AI (archived link<\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n The circulating clip also contains inconsistencies indicating it was altered with AI, such as Modi’s lips moving unnaturally and an echo in the audio not present in the original clip.<\/p>\n A circular mark on a structure in the background appears stretched and oval-shaped compared with the original footage. A glass of water visible in the livestream is also missing from the AI-altered version.<\/p>\nSigns of digital manipulation<\/h2>\n