Following Pakistan’s reported mediation in the US-Israel-Iran War, a video of Congress MP Shashi Tharoor praising the nation surfaced on social media.
Following Pakistan’s reported mediation in the US-Israel-Iran War, a video of Congress MP Shashi Tharoor praising the nation surfaced on social media.
The video shows Tharoor speaking to India Today’s Rajdeep Sardesai, saying, “If you saw Donald Trump's latest tweet crediting Pakistan with stepping in to end the Iranian war, you know why I am in shock. It feels like a massive strategic failure by the Indian government. I have never criticised Prime Minister Modi or the BJP before, but today, silence is just blind loyalty.
The MP could be seen saying further, “The harsh reality is that Pakistan is taking centre stage, rebranding itself as a global net stability provider. Meanwhile, India is bleeding diplomatic capital and rapidly losing its influence on the world stage. And what is our country focused on? The entire nation is distracted, cheering for movies like ‘Dhurandhar 2’. We are celebrating cinematic fantasies while losing in the real world. I'm speaking out today because we can no longer afford to be distracted while the global order shifts against us.”
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However, in reality, Tharoor’s comments from the viral clip, were not present anywhere in the entire interview and it was found that the video is a deepfake.
In the original video, Tharoor described 2025 as a year defined by "Trumpian turbulence," highlighting that the US president’s unpredictable actions and tariffs had significantly impacted the world, including India. He spoke about Pakistan’s military posturing following Operation Sindoor and rising anti-India sentiments in Bangladesh. Tharoor also expressed concern regarding China.
‘Alarming number of deepfake videos circulating of me’: Shashi Tharoor
On April 9, Tharoor posted on X saying that several deepfake videos of him have been circulating, featuring statements that he had never said.
“There are an alarming number of deepfake videos circulating of me, with convincing-sounding AI generated voice-overs over genuine footage of old interviews, having “me” saying things I have never said. Disappointed that so many on social media are believing these lies and issuing baseless comments attacking me for purported views that I have not expressed,” Tharoor said.
He added, “One simple rule of thumb: if a statement (video or otherwise) doesn’t appear on my timeline nor on that of the purported interviewer/media source, it’s fake news.”
