Mumbai, Nov 20 The Maharashtra Congress filed a complaint with the Election Commission of India and Cyber Crime against BJP leaders Pravin Darekar, Sudhanshu Trivedi, Gaurav Mehta and former IPS officer Ravindranath Patil for spreading fake news, fabricated video, impersonation criminal conspiracy.
The party general secretary Ravi Jadhav said the fake video and audio manipulations have been designed to deceive the public and interfere with the electoral process. The perpetrators behind this illegal activity are allegedly associated with the BJP IT Cell.
"It has come to my notice that a fabricated video and audio clip, using deepfake technology, has been circulated. The video features prominent political figures, including Nana Patole and Amitabh Gupta. This deceptive content has been widely disseminated, including during a press conference led by BJP National Spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi in New Delhi and aired on multiple television channels. The intention behind this manipulation is to influence voter behaviour and disrupt the fairness of the upcoming elections," reads the complaint.
"The use of deepfake technology to impersonate public figures is a serious offence under the Bhartiya Nyay Sahitha (BNS), the Representation of People’s Act, and other relevant laws that govern free and fair elections. This fraudulent act is not only misleading the public but also constitutes defamation, with the clear intent of manipulating the democratic process," it further states.
"The deliberate spread of this fake content just prior to the elections is a direct violation of the Model Code of Conduct, which mandates fair and transparent campaigning. It also contravenes provisions of the Representation of People’s Act, which safeguards the integrity of the electoral process," it says.
The Congress has demanded an urgent investigation and action. It also demanded to immediately register an FIR under the appropriate sections of the law and initiate a thorough investigation to identify and hold accountable those responsible for creating and circulating this malicious content.
"The individuals involved in this campaign, including Gaurav Mehta and Ravindranath Patil, a former IPS officer, are falsely accusing Supriya Sule, Member of Parliament, of being involved in financial misconduct related to election funds. These accusations are baseless and were designed to damage her reputation just before the elections. The attempt to create a fake voice recording to lend credibility to these false allegations further exacerbates the seriousness of this criminal act," reads the complaint.
"Given that these defamatory and fraudulent actions were undertaken just one day before the Maharashtra Assembly elections, it is clear that they were meant to spread false information and manipulate voters. This is a clear violation of the Representation of People’s Act and constitutes cybercrimes under Indian law," reads the complaint.
--IANS
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