Assam Congress files police complaint against BJP over alleged AI-generated videos

The Assam Congress on September 18 lodged a formal police complaint accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of circulating alleged AI-generated videos on social media that sought to incite communal sentiments and malign Congress leaders.

The complaint was filed at the Dispur Police Station by Assam Pradesh Congress Committee’s Media Department chairman Bedabrata Bora against state BJP’s social media cell for “criminal conspiracy, incitement to communal disturbances, promoting enmity among groups, and violation of the model code of conduct” ahead of the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) elections.

The FIR named Assam BJP president Dilip Saikia, state social media convener Shaktidhar Deka, and other functionaries associated with the saffron party’s digital campaigns. The Congress alleged that the BJP uploaded a video titled “Assam without BJP” on September 15 that portrayed an overwhelmingly Muslim-dominated Assam, using visuals of meat shops, liquor sales, and Islamic motifs with exaggerated statistics showing 90 per cent Muslim population.

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The Congress said the video carried captions such as “choose your vote carefully” and was clearly aimed at creating fear among voters in the run-up to the BTC elections. The complaint alleged that the video “explicitly promotes fear and hatred against Muslims, tarnishes the image of Congress leaders including Rahul Gandhi and Gaurav Gogoi, and contributes to Assam’s fragile communal fabric.”

Congress further claimed that the incident was not isolated, citing similar AI-generated videos circulated earlier, including one posted on September 12. The party urged police to order a forensic investigation into the fabrication of the content, seize devices from the BJP’s social media department, and direct social media platforms to take down the videos under provisions of the IT Act, 2000. It also sought intervention by the Election Commission of India for violation of the Model Code of Conduct.

The Congress alleged that the BJP has also been circulating edited videos on social media platform X since Monday, falsely portraying illegal immigrants taking over Guwahati landmarks such as the airport, stadium, and Rangghar amphitheatre. The videos included captions stating: “We can’t let this dream of paijan be true.”

Reacting to the controversy, state Congress chief Gaurav Gogoi said the BJP’s attempts at propaganda would fail to dent Assamese society. “The words, actions, and images produced by the BJP IT cell do not have the strength to scratch the surface of Assamese society. Assam deserves politics that uplifts people to new heights,” Gogoi said.