Delhi Police Registers FIR Against Congress in PM Modi Mother Deepfake Video Row
On September 13, 2025, the Delhi Police registered a First Information Report (FIR) against the Indian National Congress (INC) and its IT cell following a complaint by Sanket Gupta, convenor of the BJP Delhi Election Cell. The FIR pertains to an AI-generated deepfake video shared by the Bihar Congress unit on its official X handle on September 10, 2025, which allegedly defames Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his late mother, Heeraben Modi, who passed away in 2022 at the age of 100. This incident has sparked significant political controversy, especially with the Bihar elections approaching.
Background of the Controversy
The 36-second AI-generated video, clearly marked as such, depicts a dream sequence where a character resembling PM Modi is seen interacting with a figure resembling his late mother, who appears to criticize his political decisions in poll-bound Bihar. The video, captioned in Hindi as “Ma appears in Sahab’s dreams,” was posted on the Bihar Congress’s official X account, triggering immediate backlash from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies. The BJP labeled the video “disgusting” and a “gross violation of law, morality, and women’s dignity,” accusing the Congress of stooping to new lows in political discourse.
The complaint filed by Gupta at the North Avenue Police Station alleges that the video tarnishes the Prime Minister’s image and insults the dignity of his late mother. The FIR invokes multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, including:
- Section 18(2): Cheating.
- Section 336(3): Forgery with intent to cheat (punishable by up to seven years imprisonment and a fine).
- Section 336(4): Forgery with intent to harm someone’s reputation (punishable by up to three years imprisonment and a fine).
- Section 340(2): Using a forged document or electronic record as genuine.
- Section 352: Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace (punishable by up to two years imprisonment, a fine, or both).
- Section 356(2): Defamation (punishable by up to two years imprisonment, a fine, or community service).
- Section 61(2): Criminal conspiracy.
The Delhi Police have initiated an investigation, and Gupta has also requested that X remove the contentious content.
Political Backlash and Congress’s Defense
The BJP and its allies, including the Janata Dal (United), condemned the video as “cheap politics” and a sign of “frustration and decline in values” within the Congress party. Prime Minister Modi himself addressed the issue, emphasizing the societal implications of targeting his late mother, who had no involvement in politics. He stated, “Mother is our world. Mother is our self-respect... These abuses are not just an insult to my mother. These are insults to the mothers, sisters, and daughters of the country.”
The controversy was further fueled by an earlier incident during the Congress-led ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ rally in Darbhanga, Bihar, on August 27-28, 2025, where abusive slogans were reportedly chanted against PM Modi and his mother from a Congress-RJD stage. This incident had already drawn sharp criticism from the BJP, with Modi asserting that the people of Bihar would not forgive the opposition for such actions.
In response, the Congress defended the video, arguing that it depicted a mother educating her son, which they claimed was neither disrespectful to PM Modi nor his late mother. Pawan Khera, head of the Congress’s media and publicity department, stated, “What is their objection? Just because a mother is trying to educate her son to do something right, where is the disrespect? This is neither disrespectful to the mother, whom we respect dearly, nor to the son.” Despite this defense, the Bihar Congress unit initiated an internal inquiry into the video’s creation and posting.
Context and Timing
The controversy comes at a sensitive time, with Bihar’s assembly elections on the horizon. The video and the subsequent FIR have escalated political tensions between the BJP and the Congress, with the former accusing the latter of resorting to unethical tactics to gain electoral advantage. The BJP has also referenced past incidents, such as alleged voter list manipulations in Karnataka’s Aland constituency in 2023, to paint the Congress as engaging in questionable practices.
The FIR also highlights growing concerns about the use of AI and deepfake technology in political campaigns. As one speaker noted, “If deepfake videos are used to violate anyone’s dignity... it is a serious crime.” This incident underscores the ethical and legal challenges posed by AI-generated content in shaping public perception, particularly during election periods.
Implications and Next Steps
The Delhi Police’s investigation will focus on identifying the individuals responsible for creating and sharing the video, as the FIR currently names the Congress party and its IT cell as the main accused. The outcome of this probe could set a precedent for how AI-generated content is regulated in Indian politics, especially given the legal provisions invoked under the BNS.
For the Congress, the FIR adds to its challenges in Bihar, where it is already grappling with criticism over its alliance with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). The BJP, meanwhile, is leveraging the controversy to rally its base, framing the issue as an attack on cultural values and familial respect.
As the investigation unfolds, this incident serves as a stark reminder of the power and potential misuse of AI technology in political narratives. It also raises questions about the balance between free expression and the need to protect individuals’ dignity in the digital age.
Stay tuned for updates on this developing story.
