FIR registered over deepfake video of Minister Piyush Goyal, social media links to the video removed

Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday said he had filed a police complaint against a maliciously doctored AI deepfake video of his remarks to the media outside Parliament, following which an FIR was registered. Several social media links carrying the fake clip have been removed, according to government sources.

In a post on X early on Saturday, Goyal stated that his comments to reporters had been “maliciously doctored using AI to create and circulate a deepfake video in an attempt to spread misinformation.”

He said an FIR (No. 123/26) was registered at Chanakyapuri Police Station at 4:35 AM on 25 July 2026. “Strict legal action will be taken against everyone involved in creating, circulating, or amplifying this fake video,” the minister wrote, adding that the “irresponsible misuse of artificial intelligence to mislead the public cannot and will not be tolerated.”

The purported video, which began circulating on social media, falsely depicted Goyal making threatening remarks against students participating in the ongoing nationwide protests over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination. The Press Information Bureau’s fact-check unit had earlier flagged the clip as fake and AI-generated, noting that it was being spread by Pakistani propaganda accounts. PIB Fact Check clarified that the minister had made no such statement regarding the Delhi protests and shared the original, unedited footage for comparison.

A PTI video was used to create the deepfake video, in which Goyal was talking about hanging 2-3 cockroaches to teach the CJP protesters a lesson. The fake audio said, “I believe that we should hang 2-3 cockroaches in public, so that this Cockroach Janta Party can realise the reality, what is our power, and to which extent we can go.”

It was evident that the video was fake, as a minister won’t use such language in public. The fake video was reposted by several oppostion leaders on social media to target the govt.

The original video, released by the Press Trust of India on Thursday, showed Goyal speaking outside Parliament on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s post regarding the protests. In it, the minister said the Prime Minister had made it clear that the strictest possible action would be taken against those responsible, that fast-track courts would be set up for swift punishment, and that the government would take additional measures to fulfil the hopes of the country’s youth. He also appealed to the Congress and the Opposition not to politicise the issue and urged everyone to maintain peace and resolve matters through discussion.

Government sources confirmed on Saturday that many social media links related to the deepfake had been taken down following the minister’s complaint.

Goyal expressed confidence that India’s “aware and tech-savvy citizens, especially our youth,” would not fall prey to such misinformation and urged the public to rely only on verified and authentic sources.

Written by OpIndia Staff
Last modified at