Fact check: Viral video of former diplomat Deepak Vohra criticising Indian FM is doctored

Multiple users shared a video on social media platform X on Sunday, allegedly showing former Indian diplomat Deepak Vohra criticising New Delhi’s diplomacy and questioning why S Jaishankar remains the external affairs minister after the Islamabad Talks. However, the video is doctored.

Backchannel diplomatic efforts by Pakistan paid off, as the United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire on Wednesday, after weeks of escalating hostilities triggered by US-Israeli strikes on February 28, which quickly spiralled into a wider regional conflict.

Pakistan emerged as a central diplomatic actor in securing the ceasefire between the US and Iran, actively facilitating communication between the two sides at a critical stage of the conflict. The effort resulted in a two-week ceasefire and negotiation talks in Islamabad on Sunday.

The inaugural round of direct Iran-US dialogue, mediated by Pakistan, concluded early on Sunday after nearly 21 hours of talks without a breakthrough. However, officials indicated that the process had not collapsed and could continue.

Amid the development, many Indian social media users and citizens were seen criticising the government for its absence in the negotiations and questioning the foreign policy of the BJP government.

How it started

On Wednesday, an account on X, that usually shares AI-generated content, shared an alleged video of Vohra with the following caption: “Breaking news: Former Indian ambassador Deepak Bohra lashes out at Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar. ‘Tonight, the nation wants to know, and I am asking the Prime Minister directly: Why is Jaishankar still our External Affairs Minister? As US Vice President JD Vance and high-level Iranian delegations land in Islamabad, Pakistan is manipulating the global stage, openly flirting with the absolute catastrophe of World War III.”

In the viral clip, Vohra can be heard saying: “Tonight, the nation wants to know, and I’m asking the Prime Minister directly, why is S Jaishankar still our external affairs minister? As US Vice President JD Vance and high-level Iranian delegations land in Islamabad, Pakistan is manipulating the global stage, openly flirting with the absolute catastrophe of World War III. I say this with absolute conviction. Modi must ask Jaishankar to step down immediately for this colossal diplomatic failure.

“How have we allowed Pakistan, a nation known for harbouring terror, to suddenly project itself as the centre of global diplomacy while India is forced to watch from the sidelines? Where does India stand in all of this? I ask you, where is our voice when the future of global stability is supposedly being negotiated in our own backyard? While Pakistan attempts to play the geopolitical kingmaker between Washington and Tehran, we are being completely boxed out of a conversation that directly impacts our own national security. We cannot be silent spectators while our adversaries dictate the new world order. We need aggressive, unapologetic diplomacy right now, not a passive retreat, and the people demand absolute accountability for why we have been left out of this critical equation.”

The post gained 228,400 views.

Journalist Hamid Mir reposted the same video in a similar context with the following caption: “Can’t understand why some Indians are burning like hell fire?”

The post garnered 80,000 views.

The video was shared by several other X users in a similar context, as can be seen here, here, here, and here.

Methodology

A fact-check was initiated to determine the veracity of the claim due to its high virality and keen public interest in Pakistan’s role in brokering the ceasefire between the US and Iran, along with the Indian reaction to the development.

An audio-visual analysis of the viral clip revealed several inconsistencies, such as tonal differences, the speed of the audio, and unnatural, almost robotic, background sounds.

When a forensic analysis of the video was conducted, it showed that Hive Moderation flagged the viral clip to be 99 per cent AI-generated.

Another AI-detection tool, Undetectable AI, labelled it as 61pc AI-generated content.

Similarly, forensic analysis of the audio from the viral clip was conducted using several AI detection tools, which also showed that it was AI-generated. Truth Scan showed that the audio was 99pc AI-generated.

Another tool, Resemble AI, also flagged the audio as fake.

Moreover, a reverse image search yielded a video shared by Indian media outlet Republic World on their YouTube channel dated May 30, 2025.

The video shows Vohra discussing high-tension relations between India and Pakistan, specifically referencing the geopolitical developments on May 29, 2025. In the video, the former Indian diplomat can be seen wearing the same attire as in the viral clip, which shows that the latter was doctored.

Lastly, a keyword search was conducted to verify whether Vohra had made any such claims; however, no reports were found in either local or international media, neither recently nor in May 2025.

Fact-check status: False

The claim that a viral video shows former Indian diplomat Deepak Vohra criticising the Indian foreign minister and his diplomacy is false.

The video is doctored and has been dubbed over through AI.