On 22 April 2025, a terrorist attack targeting tourists took place in Pahalgam, Kashmir. The Resistance Front (TRF), a terrorist organisation, initially claimed responsibility for the attack. However, on 25 April 2025, TRF issued a fresh statement on its social media platforms, denying any involvement in the Pahalgam incident and distancing itself from the earlier claim. The attackers had opened fire on tourists in the Baisaran meadow area, popularly known as Mini Switzerland. Several media reports stated that survivors recalled how the terrorists asked the victims about their religion before shooting them dead (here, here). According to reports, the attack claimed the lives of 26 people (here, here).
In this context, a video (here, here, here, and here) of a press conference is going viral, showing men in uniform walking out of the conference. The video is being shared with the claim that Indian Army generals walked out of a meeting, refusing to fight against Pakistan and expressing that they are not capable of waging a war against Pakistan. In the video, several men in uniform can be seen leaving the room, after which a man can be heard saying, “What is the army afraid of? Why are they running away like this?”. Through this article, let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video shows Indian Army officials walking out of a meeting, refusing to fight against Pakistan and expressing their inability to do so.
Fact: The viral video is not related to the recent escalation between India and Pakistan following the Pahalgam terrorist attack. This video clip dates back to 25 March 2025 and is related to a joint press conference held by Punjab Police and Army officials regarding the Colonel Pushpinder Singh Bath incident. In March 2025, Colonel Pushpinder Singh Bath and his son were assaulted by 12 Punjab Police personnel over a parking dispute. It should be noted that Pakistani social media users are circulating this video clip with false claims. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
To find details about the viral video, we conducted a Google reverse image search using keyframes from the video. This search led us to the same video uploaded on the Instagram account of Shiromani Akali Dal leader and former Punjab MLA and minister, Bikram Singh Majithia, on 25 March 2025. In the description of the video, he praised journalist Man Aman Singh Chhina for “persistently asking questions to ensure justice for Col. Pushpinder Singh Bath and his family”. The post description reads: “Special salute to journalist Man Aman Singh Chhina, who is constantly questioning the DGP fearlessly for justice for Colonel Pushpinder Singh Bath and his family.” From this information, it is clear that the video is not related to the recent escalation between India and Pakistan following the Pahalgam terrorist attack, as it predates the Pahalgam attack that took place on 22 April 2025.
We also found that journalist Man Aman Singh Chhina shared the same video on his X (formerly Twitter) account on 25 March 2025. The caption of the video reads: “Chief of Staff Western Command Lt Gen Mohit Wadhwa just scooted away with his senior officers after reading out a statement on the Patiala Colonel without taking any questions. The DGP also read out a statement and left, but at least he has answered questions from the media in recent days. What is the Army afraid of?”. From this information, it is clear that the video relates to a press conference held by the Punjab Police regarding the Colonel Pushpinder Singh Bath issue.
In March 2025, Colonel Pushpinder Singh Bath was assaulted by 12 Punjab Police personnel over a parking dispute, along with his son. Bath later filed a plea in the High Court, seeking to transfer the investigation to the CBI or another independent agency, claiming that a fair investigation was impossible under the Punjab Police. To ensure a fair probe, transparency, and justice, and to prevent the issue from escalating into an “Army versus Police” situation, the DGP of Punjab and Army officials held a joint press conference on 25 March 2025 (here, here, & here). The Punjab police, as of 12 April 2025, have formed a seven-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the matter, according to the Indian Express.
We then found the live-streamed video of this press conference on the official YouTube channel of the Government of Punjab. The conference was held at Punjab Bhawan, Sector 3, Chandigarh, on 25 March 2025. During the joint press conference, Gaurav Yadav, DGP of Punjab Police, and Lieutenant General Mohit Wadhwa, Chief of Staff, HQ Western Command, issued a joint statement on the assault of serving Colonel Bath. The viral clip shows the same press conference, where Chhina criticised Army officials for not taking questions from the media.
Additionally, on 27 April 2025, the Government of India’s PIB Fact Check unit, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), labelled the viral video as fake. The post stated: “An old video, along with false claims about the Indian Army, is being widely shared by Pakistan-based accounts on social media platforms.” The post further clarified that the shared video is from an old press conference dated 25 March 2025. The PIB has advised users to exercise caution while sharing unverified claims circulating on social media platforms. From all this information, it is evident that an old, unrelated video clip from a March 2025 press conference regarding the Colonel Pushpinder Singh Bath assault incident is now being shared with false claims to disseminate misinformation about the Indian Army. It should also be noted that many Pakistani social media users are circulating this video clip with false claims.
To sum it up, a video clip from the joint press conference held by Punjab Police and Army officials on 25 March 2025 regarding the Colonel Pushpinder Singh Bath incident is being circulated with false claims.
