Recently, a video of Colonel Sofia Qureshi allegedly saying that Trishul exercises are nothing but a political gimmick to sway the Bihar elections went viral on social media. Sharing the video on Facebook, a user wrote, “🚨 Breaking:
Colonel Sofia Qureshi goes off on live TV
“These Trishul exercises are nothing but a political gimmick to sway the Bihar elections. I’m done being used as a prop for Muslim support. I can’t stand the saffronization of the Indian Army”.
Facebook Link | Archived Link.
However, as we investigated, we came to know that the viral video has been edited. Here’s the fact check.
Fact Check
At the beginning of our investigation, we noticed that Col. Sofia Qureshi’s voice in the viral video sounded robotic.
Moving forward, taking screenshots from the viral video, we conducted a reverse image search. This led us to a similar video uploaded on the official YouTube channel of ANI on 31 October 2025, captioned as “Sofiya Qureshi’s must watch msg to Gen-Z after Op Sindoor at Indian Army’s Chanakya Defence Dialogue”.
The description of the video read, “Colonel Sofiya Qureshi conveyed her message to young leader for Indian Army, as she addressed the Chanakya Defence Dialogue of Indian Army on the theme “Veer Yuva: Empowering Youth for India’s National Security”. She highlighted the increasing role of youth at various aspects at the global face. She invoked the example of Azerbaijan-Armenia war and Russia-Ukraine war to emphasise on the fact that well trained and directed youth will lead the future of the warfare and strategy. She said, “Responsibilities for defending a nation are not just the military’s game; civilians also play a role in addressing external and internal threats… Over the years, the Indian army has trained officers and troops in ‘Saashtra’ and ‘Shashtra.’ ‘Saashtra’ means knowledge, strategy, and wisdom, while ‘Shashtra’ means weaponry and warfare, representing a blend of intellect and strength… Every generation has carried the flame of patriotism, from baby boomers to Gen Z… Be it 7 decades ago or Operation Sindoor, you all have witnessed it… You, the ‘Yuva Shakti of Bharat,’ you are the force of multipliers. You are not only trained in firepower, but also in the firewalls. You are ready to face kinetic and non-kinetic domains. War is not only fought in bunkers or with bullets, but also with bites and bandwidths.”
Nowhere in the video did Sofia Qureshi mention that Trishul exercises are a political gimmick to sway the Bihar elections. There was no such remark in this video as shown in the viral video.
A comparison between the screenshots from the viral video and the original video can be seen below.
Further, we found a tweet on the official X handle of PIB Fact Check on 3 November 2025, refuting the viral claim.
It is worth mentioning that the Tri-Services Exercise – Trishul is being conducted by the Indian Navy as the lead service jointly with the Indian Army and Indian Air Force, and will continue till the 13th of this month (November 2025).
The Ministry of Defence in a statement said, the exercise aims to achieve validation and synchronisation of operational procedures across the three Services, enabling joint effect-based operations in multi-domain environments. It will feature large-scale operations across the creek and desert sectors of Rajasthan and Gujarat, alongside comprehensive maritime operations including amphibious operations in the North Arabian Sea.
Conclusion
From our investigation, we can say that the viral video has been altered. Col. Sofia Qureshi did not say that Trishul exercises are a political gimmick to sway the Bihar elections. The original video shows Sofia Qureshi addressing the Chanakya Defence Dialogue organised by the Indian Army.
Title:No, Colonel Sofia Qureshi Did Not Say That Trishul Exercises Are A Political Gimmick For Bihar Elections.
Fact Check By: Debanjana BaishyaResult: Altered
