Fact Check: Viral Video Attributed To Colonel Sofia Qureshi After MP Minister Vijay Shah’s Controversial Statement Is A Deepfake
The viral video featuring Colonel Qureshi that emerged following MP minister Vijay Shah’s controversial statement is a deepfake. The AI-generated audio has been superimposed onto a video of her original press briefing and is being made viral on social media.
- By: Sharad Prakash Asthana
- Published: May 21, 2025 at 10:26 AM
New Delhi (Vishvas News): Madhya Pradesh Minister Vijay Shah recently made a controversial statement about Colonel Sofia Qureshi. Following this, a video attributed to Colonel Qureshi is going viral on social media, in which she is seen saying, “I am a Muslim, but not a Pakistani. I am a Muslim, but not a terrorist.” Some users are sharing it believing it to be true.
Vishvas News’ investigation revealed that the viral video attributed to Colonel Qureshi is a deepfake, and the audio has been created using AI.
Viral Post
X user Dinesh Chauhan posted the video (archive link) on May 14th,2025.
Facebook user ‘Firoz Firoz‘ posted the video (archive link) on May 12, 2025, with the caption:,
“I am a Muslim but not a Pakistani
I am a Muslim but not a terrorist
terrorists have no religion
I have the courage to kill every terrorist with my own hands, that too without asking their religion, Sophia Qureshi”
Investigation
To verify the viral claim, we began by searching relevant keywords on Google but found no credible media reports supporting the claim. If Colonel Qureshi had made such a statement, it would have been widely covered by the media.
Next, we extracted the key frames from the viral video and conducted a Google Lens search. This led us to a similar video on the Instagram profile of user ‘akka_foundation’, where Colonel Qureshi is seen discussing ‘Operation Sindoor’.
Based on this, we searched the relevant keyword on Google and found a video of Colonel Qureshi uploaded on the NEWS ON AIR OFFICIAL YouTube channel on May 7, 2025. In the video, Colonel Qureshi is seen providing details about ‘Operation Sindoor’. She stated that in response to the terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22, 2025, the Indian armed forces launched ‘Operation Sindoor’ on the night of May 6-7, successfully destroying nine terrorist bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
The complete video of the press briefing has been uploaded on the YouTube channel of Sansad TV, and the message seen in the viral video is nowhere to be found in it.
Similarities can be seen between the viral video and the official press briefing are evident. The message in the viral video is altered, while in the original video, Colonel Qureshi is seen providing information about ‘Operation Sindoor’.
To verify the audio of the viral video, it was analysed using the AI voice detection tool Resemble.ai, which confirmed that the audio used in the video is AI-generated.
We also contacted our partner Deepfake Analysis Unit (DAU) regarding this. The expert team of DAU, an initiative of Misinformation Combat Alliance (MCA), analysed the video, and all the audio classifiers of Deepfake-O-Meter indicated that the audio track was AI-generated.
Additionally, we contacted the spokesperson of the Indian Army regarding this, who confirmed that this video is fake.
We also spoke with Dainik Jagran’s Associate Editor, Sanjay Mishra, who specialises in military affairs. He confirmed that the video is AI-generated. He also added that such manipulated content is often shared by users looking to boost their social media followers.
According to a news report published in the national edition of Dainik Jagran on May 15, 2025, Madhya Pradesh’s Tribal Affairs Minister Vijay Shah made an indecent remark on Colonel Qureshi. Taking suo motu cognisance of the matter, the Madhya Pradesh High Court ordered the authorities to register a case against him. Notably, Shah referred to Colonel Qureshi as the “sister of terrorists” during a meeting held in the Mhow assembly constituency. The state BJP has sent a report on this matter to the party’s national president, JP Nadda.
We also scanned the profile of the X user who shared the deepfake video of Colonel Qureshi and found that the user has around 20000 followers.
Conclusion: The viral video featuring Colonel Qureshi that emerged following MP minister Vijay Shah’s controversial statement is a deepfake. The AI-generated audio has been superimposed onto a video of her original press briefing and is being made viral on social media.
- Claim Review : Colonel Sofia Qureshi said- I am a Muslim, but not a Pakistani.
- Claimed By : Facebook user 'Firoz Firoz'
- Fact Check : False
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