A series of fake videos, AI-cloned audio clips, and dozens of forged letters on RSS letterhead have flooded social media, each designed to provoke political outrage
In February, a video of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat was circulated across platforms. The slick, convincingly edited clip of Bhagwat claimed he had called for the ‘saffronisation’ of the Indian Army and allegedly requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ‘get rid of the untouchables’. Within hours, the clip was everywhere: shared, debated, weaponised on social media platforms and otherwise as well.
The claim was explosive. But scrutiny revealed that the video was made using AI and was a deepfake. The audio was cloned, context twisted, and intent manufactured. The government issued a clarification and busted the fake narrative around the video.
But this was not a one-off. It was part of a far more systematic playbook. In fact, a senior Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) functionary said it was only the tip of a much-larger disinformation iceberg. In recent months, a series of fake videos, AI-cloned audio clips, and dozens of forged letters on RSS letterhead have flooded social media, each designed to provoke political outrage and distort public perception.
From fabricated letters to PM Modi to fake claims involving Rahul Gandhi, the pattern is consistent. it includes official-looking formats, viral-ready content, and strategic timing around sensitive moments. Deepfakes have also dragged in leaders like Rajnath Singh, while impersonation handles mimic figures such as Ajit Doval to lend false credibility.
The Letterhead Conspiracy
The objective is no longer just misinformation. It is a narrative disruption at scale, said a source in RSS ranks. The RSS is now actively pushing back, flagging fake letters as AI-generated, initiating legal complaints, and warning that its name and letterhead are being systematically misused.
“In the current hyper-accelerated information cycle, misinformation is no longer random noise. It is engineered. Carefully timed, politically loaded, and digitally sophisticated, these campaigns aim not just to mislead but to destabilise narratives before facts can catch up. And for context, one can notice how such deepfakes or AI-made documents increase before the assembly or Lok Sabha elections. So clearly, these are not random things,” said the senior functionary.
If deepfake videos are the headline act, forged documents are the quiet disruptors. News18 accessed at least eight fake letters on RSS letterhead which were circulated in recent months, each crafted to appear official, each designed to trigger controversy.
Then came a series of fabricated ‘policy’ notes that include one on religious reservation, another outlining conversion strategy, and yet another hinting at internal dissent within the Sangh. Add to these fake advisories on elections, fake surveys, minority outreach, and even national security and a clear pattern emerges. Each document carries the same footprint, which includes official-looking letterheads, bureaucratic tone, and just enough plausibility to go viral.
The Fake Letter Factory
Beyond videos, a more insidious tool has been deployed repeatedly, including forged letters on RSS letterhead. Below mentioned are eight such fabricated communications circulated in recent months to trigger political shockwaves:
* A fake letter to PM Narendra Modi, allegedly from Bhagwat, questioning Assam politics and indirectly targeting Himanta Biswa Sarma
* A fabricated note praising Rahul Gandhi as a future leader
* A forged directive on “religious reservation”, falsely attributed to the Sangh
* A conversion strategy document, outlining non-existent plans for religious mobilisation
*A letter on election interference, allegedly guiding voting patterns
*A communication on internal dissent, projecting cracks within the organisation
* A policy note on minority outreach, crafted to appear controversial
* A ‘strategic advisory’ on national security, misusing institutional tone and format
RSS Pushback
According to sources, Delhi Police and Assam Police have investigated these incidents, leading to the arrest of individuals, including some linked to the Congress student wing (NSUI), for creating and circulating the fake letters. The RSS sympathisers have registered complaints with the cyber cell of the Crime Branch and the Election Commission, warning that such fake content aims to disturb public harmony, said a senior RSS functionary.
The pushback has now moved beyond statements. Multiple FIRs have been registered, with agencies tracking the origin of doctored videos and forged documents; arrests have been made in select cases by Delhi and Assam police signalling that the crackdown is underway. Investigators are increasingly pointing to organised networks leveraging AI tools to mass-produce and circulate such content at speed.
Alongside videos and letters, the sources in the organisation have also flagged a rise in ‘fabricated’ news articles and opinion pieces, published on obscure portals or circulated as screenshots, falsely attributing positions, internal rifts, or policy stances. The RSS functionaries maintain this is not isolated misinformation but a structured campaign to distort public discourse. As elections draw closer, the battle is clearly expanding, from the ground to digital, where credibility itself is under attack.
“Today, creating deepfakes, whether images, video, or voice, is no longer technically difficult or complicated. With freely available tools and generative AI models, even individuals without specialised knowledge can reproduce convincing synthetic content. This accessibility significantly lowers the barrier for targeted impersonation and misinformation campaigns. Existing responses, from advisories to fact-checking units, remain largely reactive and fragmented. While provisions under laws like the IT Act and defamation frameworks exist, enforcement is inconsistent, and jurisdiction is often unclear. Moreover, there is no single authority responsible for end-to-end handling of deepfake-related harms,” Vanpreet Sandhu, a senior industry expert in AI and cybersecurity, told News18.
“The most effective long-term response will combine technological safeguards such as mandatory metadata embedding, watermarking, and AI-generated content labeling by the AI agents or applications with behavioural interventions. This may encourage users to ponder over, especially when content is emotionally charged or urgent, and remains a critical line of defence. Deepfakes thrive in low trust environments,” added Sandhu.
Narrative Warfare
Deepfake speeches have also targeted leaders like Rajnath Singh. Fake social media profiles impersonate figures such as Ajit Doval. Old videos are repurposed, and incidents from one state are passed off as another to inflame tensions. The timing is rarely accidental. These waves peak around elections and politically sensitive moments, when public opinion is most vulnerable.
“What is needed now is a comprehensive structural program along with a centralised governing body with clear jurisdiction, standardised complaint mechanisms, and the authority to mandate platform compliance. This will encourage people to pause before sharing. The framework should include requirements for traceability, rapid takedown processes, and accountability across the entire content lifecycle,” said Abhijit Tripathy, another senior industry expert, who is involved in cyber security and forensic analysis.
“From a cybersecurity lens, users act as the first line of defence, but only at a basic level. They can look for anomalies like mismatched audio-video sync, unnatural facial movements, or inconsistencies in documents. Verifying content through trusted sources and official channels is critical. Simple tools like reverse image search or checking metadata can help flag suspicious content. However, highly sophisticated deepfakes may bypass human detection, which is why awareness is key,” added Tripathy.
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