An Intelligence Bureau official said the campaign appears to be carefully coordinated.

“This is systematic targeting with the clear intention to get the students on the streets. They are trying to incite the students to return to the streets and this time around only target the PM,” the official said.

The official noted that during the recent protests, students were primarily focused on the alleged NEET paper leak. Tensions eased after the Union Government acted against former Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Officials now believe the latest campaign is designed to shift attention directly towards the Prime Minister.

“The Pakistani handles are singling out PM Modi this time around and they hope that through the students they can effect a regime change,” the official added.

The government has repeatedly stated that students who took part in peaceful protests would not face coercive measures or legal action. Last week, authorities in Delhi, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam and Maharashtra assured students that peaceful participation would not attract punitive action.

On Thursday, the Delhi government reiterated that no adverse legal action was being taken against students involved in the NEET-UG protests in the national capital. It also ordered the closure of proceedings in 13 FIRs registered in connection with the demonstrations.

An official said the government’s approach had been aimed at resolving the issue rather than escalating tensions.

“The government has clearly signalled that it wants a solution and not a confrontation. This has upset the ISI-backed elements and has led them to ramp up fake videos and claims,” the official said.

Among the manipulated clips circulating online are videos in which the Prime Minister is falsely made to say that students who protested at Jantar Mantar would face strict action and that those who demonstrated against the BJP government would suffer the consequences.

Officials said the deepfakes misuse footage of the Prime Minister’s earlier remarks on action against the paper mafia, where he had thanked students for offering constructive suggestions to improve the examination process.

Another altered clip falsely presents the Prime Minister as making threatening remarks, while omitting his actual appeal for calm following abusive slogans raised during the protests.

“Abuses don’t solve anything. Let us guide the misguided and let us work together. Let us work for Bharat,” PM Modi had said.

Another official said the campaign reflects frustration among Pakistani actors after the protests subsided without leading to prolonged unrest.

“The frustrations of the Pakistanis is that the government managed to find a solution and the protests came to an end. They would have hoped that the protests continued longer so that this would have shaken the establishment,” the official said.

The official added that the campaign forms part of a broader attempt to weaken public confidence in India’s democratically elected government. It also serves as a diversion from issues facing Pakistan in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), the official claimed.

Officials noted that only a few weeks ago, similar Pakistani social media accounts were primarily circulating deepfake content targeting the Indian Army. The recent shift, they said, indicates a deliberate effort to focus on the Prime Minister in an attempt to create confusion and fuel resentment among students.

Warning that similar campaigns are likely to continue, officials urged the public, particularly students, to verify online content carefully and avoid falling for misinformation circulated through such social media handles.

(With IANS inputs)