Afghan FM Announced Construction Of Hindu Temples in Kabul-Kandahar? Know The Truth Behind Viral Video

Afghanistan’s foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, recently visited India and held a meeting with Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, following which a purported video from his press conference has gone viral on social media. In the viral clip, Muttaqi is heard saying in Hindi, “I told Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi that if you help us with a few dollars, we will build temples of Lord Shiva and Vishnu in Kabul and Kandahar. Then devotees from India will be able to make pilgrimages to Afghanistan. We have raised the slogan ‘Jai Shri Ram’ here. We thank Modiji for standing by us.”

Posting that video on Facebook, a user wrote, “Breaking: Afghan Foreign Minister Mutaqqi announces that Afghanistan is now willing to open idol-worshipping temples inside Afghanistan in exchange for Indian money.”

Evidence

1. No credible news reports: A keyword search for “Afghan Foreign Minister”, “Shiva temple”, “Vishnu temple”, “Kabul”, “Kandahar” found no official or media reports supporting the viral claim.

2. Original ANI video: The logo of ANI News is visible in the viral clip. On ANI’s official YouTube channel, a similar video uploaded on October 12 shows Amir Khan Muttaqi speaking in his native language, not Hindi. An interpreter translated his statements into English.

3. Deepfake analysis: Newschecker consulted the Deepfakes Analysis Unit (DAU), which examined the viral clip using detection tools. Their findings revealed several digital inconsistencies:

• The minister’s teeth disappear and reappear across frames.
  
• Facial distortions and flickering spots around his mouth and cheeks indicate AI manipulation.
  
• The lip-sync and audio tone do not match his natural speech pattern.

These indicators confirm that the clip was AI-generated (deepfake) to spread misinformation.

Verdict

The viral video claiming that Afghan foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi announced the construction of Hindu temples in Kabul and Kandahar was found to be digitally altered using AI tools.

FAQs
Q1. Did the Afghan foreign minister announce the construction of Hindu temples in Afghanistan?
No. He made no such announcement. The viral video is a deepfake.
Q2. What is a deepfake video?
A deepfake is an AI-generated video that manipulates visuals or voice to make someone appear to say or do something they never did.
Q3. How was the fake video detected?
Analysts from the Deepfakes Analysis Unit found visual distortions — disappearing teeth, mismatched lip movements, and digital spots — confirming AI tampering.
Q4. Did any credible media outlet report on this claim?
No verified Indian or international media outlet reported such a statement from the Afghan foreign minister.
Q5. Why was the video created?
The motive appears to be spreading misinformation and fueling religious narratives using fabricated diplomatic content.

Sources
Video by ANI
Analysis by DAU