By Staff
Patna, India — The Patna High Court on Wednesday directed the Congress party, its senior leader Rahul Gandhi, and three social media platforms to take down a widely circulated AI-generated video that depicted characters resembling Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his late mother, Heeraben.
The 36-second clip, captioned “Maa appears in sahab’s dreams” and marked “AI generated,” has been shared extensively online, prompting outrage from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Party leaders condemned the video as “shameful” and accused the Congress of weaponising digital tools to malign Mr. Modi.
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The Congress has denied any intent to disrespect the prime minister or his mother, insisting the controversy is politically inflated.
The petition, filed by advocate Vivekanand Singh on September 15, described the video as defamatory and a violation of restrictions placed on political parties under the Representation of the People Act. Acting Chief Justice P.B. Bajanthri, while hearing the case, instructed the Congress to remove the video immediately, noting that it violated Article 21 of India’s Constitution, which protects the right to privacy and human dignity. A written order is pending.
The petition also named Mr. Gandhi, the Union government, and the Election Commission of India (ECI) as respondents, seeking both accountability and a public apology. It argued the video spread “malicious propaganda” that could undermine free and fair elections while tarnishing the personal reputation of a political leader.
The ECI’s counsel, Siddharth Prasad, told the court that notices had been issued to Facebook, Twitter, and Google, requiring them to respond by the next hearing date.
The case underscores the increasingly complex intersection of artificial intelligence, politics, and electoral integrity in India, a nation where social media plays an outsized role in shaping political narratives