Intelligence Agencies Alert Over Disinformation Campaign Amid NEET Protests

New Delhi, July 2026 : As nationwide protests led by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) over the alleged NEET-UG paper leak continue, Indian intelligence agencies have issued a warning about a possible large-scale disinformation campaign aimed at exploiting the unrest and fuelling public disorder through fake and manipulated social media content.

According to officials, hostile elements are attempting to take advantage of the emotionally charged atmosphere by circulating fabricated videos, misleading posts and AI-generated content designed to provoke violence, spread confusion and undermine confidence in public institutions. Security agencies have already detected several suspicious videos that appear to show uniformed personnel making political statements. Preliminary assessments suggest many of these clips may have been manipulated or created with the intent to mislead the public.

An Intelligence Bureau official said such attempts were anticipated given the sensitive nature of the ongoing protests. The official noted that anti-social elements often exploit situations involving public anger to amplify tensions and encourage unrest through coordinated misinformation campaigns. Authorities have begun identifying, tracking and flagging questionable content across multiple social media platforms.

Officials stressed that rapid action against such content is essential to limit its reach and prevent wider damage. “The longer false information remains online, the greater its potential to influence public opinion and create unnecessary panic. Immediate identification and removal are critical,” an official said.

Investigators have also observed the increasing use of artificial intelligence and deepfake technology to produce videos falsely portraying police or military personnel delivering political messages. According to officials, these sophisticated fabrications are intended to lend credibility to false narratives by exploiting the high level of public trust enjoyed by India’s security forces.

The broader objective of these campaigns, intelligence agencies believe, is to weaken public confidence in key state institutions, particularly the Indian Army. Officials noted that the armed forces have consistently enjoyed widespread public respect, making them an attractive target for those seeking to create divisions or spread distrust.

Security officials pointed to a similar pattern witnessed during Operation Sindoor, when coordinated propaganda campaigns allegedly linked to Pakistan-based networks circulated fabricated claims about the Indian military. During that period, several fake videos and misleading reports attempted to portray the armed forces as having suffered heavy setbacks, despite official accounts to the contrary. Authorities believe those campaigns were aimed at demoralising both the military and the public.

Officials have not ruled out the possibility of foreign actors playing a role in the current misinformation campaign. They said attempts to undermine India’s military and democratic institutions through online propaganda have been observed repeatedly in recent years, particularly during periods of national significance or heightened political activity.

According to intelligence sources, nearly 20 suspicious videos purportedly featuring army personnel criticising the government over the NEET controversy have already been identified since the protests began. These videos are currently under forensic examination. Investigators, however, face challenges because the individuals shown in the clips do not display name tags, insignia or any identifying features that could help verify their identity.

Another concern for investigators is the pattern in which such content is being circulated. Officials say misleading videos are often uploaded, rapidly amplified through coordinated sharing across multiple platforms and then deleted within hours. This tactic makes it considerably more difficult to trace the original source while allowing the misinformation to reach thousands of viewers before removal.

Authorities have cautioned that similar attempts are likely to increase as the protests continue. Intelligence agencies are coordinating with law enforcement and social media platforms to identify the origin of misleading content, curb its spread and prevent any attempts to incite violence or destabilise public order.

Officials have also appealed to citizens to exercise caution while consuming or sharing content related to the protests. They urged people to verify information through credible sources before forwarding videos or messages online, warning that even short-lived misinformation can have significant consequences for public peace and national security.

(The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)