Mumbai | October 31, 2025 —A political controversy has erupted in Maharashtra after a police complaint was filed against Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction) MLA Rohit Pawar for creating and displaying a fake Aadhaar card in the name of former U.S. President Donald Trump. The video demonstration, which Pawar said was meant to highlight flaws in India’s voter registration system, has instead triggered a legal and political storm — blending questions of cybersecurity, free speech, and political accountability.
A Political Provocation Goes Viral
Earlier this month, Rohit Pawar uploaded a short video in which he demonstrated how online tools could generate a counterfeit Aadhaar card using false credentials. The example he chose — “Donald Trump” — was both humorous and provocative. In the video, he argued that such loopholes could allow for large-scale voter manipulation, including the creation of duplicate or fake voter IDs.
The demonstration gained viral traction across social media platforms, drawing both laughter and criticism.
Within days, Dhananjay Wagaskar, a social media co-convener of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Maharashtra, filed a formal complaint, alleging that Pawar’s act constituted forgery and identity theft under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and sections of the Information Technology Act.
Mumbai’s Cyber Police subsequently registered an FIR against unidentified individuals connected to the website used for generating the fake Aadhaar, as well as against Pawar for allegedly “spreading misinformation and undermining public trust in government institutions.”
“A Funny FIR,” Says Rohit Pawar
Unfazed by the case, Pawar dismissed the FIR as “funny” and politically motivated.
“I have not forged anything. I merely showed how easily one can make a fake Aadhaar card online. Instead of investigating the vulnerability, the government waited 15 days to file a useless FIR,” he told reporters in Pune.
Pawar insisted that his demonstration was an act of whistleblowing, not fraud. He alleged that the state government, led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and supported by the BJP, was targeting him for exposing systemic flaws in the electoral system.
“Between 2024 and the upcoming Maharashtra elections, nearly 48 lakh new voters were added in six months — far higher than usual. There were also irregular deletions and duplications,” he said, suggesting possible voter data manipulation.
Pawar also took aim at his political rivals, accusing the BJP of exploiting the issue for “damage control.”
“When I showed them the holes in the system, they panicked. This FIR is an act of fear, not justice,” he said, adding that he would challenge the case in court.
The Aadhaar Vulnerability Debate
The controversy has reignited long-standing concerns over Aadhaar’s data integrity, especially its use in voter verification. While the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) maintains that the system is secure and tamper-proof, independent cybersecurity experts have repeatedly warned that weak third-party applications and data aggregation tools can be exploited to generate realistic fake Aadhaar credentials.
“Generating a fake Aadhaar image isn’t the same as hacking the UIDAI database, but it exposes the ecosystem’s dependence on poorly vetted digital tools,” said a senior cybersecurity analyst in Mumbai.
He added that the incident underscores “a deeper issue — the lack of robust verification mechanisms between Aadhaar and other government databases, especially during voter registration drives.”
The Election Commission of India has previously faced criticism for linking Aadhaar with voter IDs, with civil rights groups warning of data breaches and voter suppression risks.
Between Whistleblowing and Political Theatre
The Rohit Pawar episode sits at the intersection of digital activism and political showmanship. On one hand, his demonstration raises legitimate concerns about technological vulnerabilities and electoral transparency. On the other, critics argue that performing such stunts on public platforms risks spreading misinformation and eroding confidence in digital governance.
For now, the case has widened Maharashtra’s political divide — with the NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) portraying the FIR as a crackdown on dissent, and the BJP calling it a necessary action against “digital misinformation.”
But beneath the political noise lies a sobering reality: in an age where data authenticity is central to democracy, even a mock Aadhaar card bearing the name of an American president can expose the fragility of India’s digital foundations.
As one political observer noted, “The real question isn’t whether Donald Trump has an Aadhaar card — it’s whether India’s digital systems can withstand the scrutiny of those who dare to test them.”
