On October 22, Indo-Tibetan Border Police Director-General Shatrujeet Kapur praised Shaurya Commandos for their “exemplary role” during a recent “face-off” with Chinese troops at several locations in Arunachal Pradesh. These comments have sparked controversy, with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge demanding answers from Prime Minister Narendra Modi over what he called a “deeply alarming” situation.Now, Supreme Court lawyer and activist Prashant Bhushan has shared two videos (strong language; viewer discretion advised), writing, “Watch: What people in Arunachal Pradesh are saying about China & our government!”The first video shows the camera zooming into a watchtower where a person can be seen.
The second clip, set in a hilly, green landscape, shows people talking to police officers and a man sitting on a broken footbridge. India Today Fact Check found that neither video is from the Arunachal Pradesh-China border, and neither is related to recent developments.OUR PROBEA reverse search of keyframes from the first video led us to an extended version of the clip posted by Instagram user Sabbath Thapa on October 7.
The caption suggested it was from Nathula Pass, on the Sikkim-Tibet border. Thapa shared multiple videos from the checkpoint, indicating that he visits the area frequently.
A comparison with the Street View of the Nathula Pass viewpoint, where the same watchtower is visible, confirmed the clip is not from Arunachal Pradesh.A Google Lens search of the second video led us to a compilation featuring the same clips, uploaded to the YouTube channel Arunachal Today on May 23, 2025. According to its title and description, the video showed locals in Arunachal Pradesh’s Siang district protesting the construction of a dam.
Other Arunachal-based news outlets published similar visuals, reporting that the Anti-Dam Party of Siang district staged a protest at Beging village against the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation’s proposed Siang dam project. Around 400 people reportedly participated, expressing concern over the project’s impact on their land, livelihoods, environment, and way of life.Reports by The Hindu and Deccan Herald in May 2025 stated that anti-dam protester and lawyer-activist Ebo Mili were booked by the authorities, drawing backlash from several organisations.
According to an NDTV report dated October 24, the anti-dam protest in Siang district, more than a hundred kilometres from the nearest point on the China border, is still ongoing.It is therefore clear that neither video is related to the ongoing tension between Indian and Chinese troops on the Arunachal Pradesh border.- Ends