AI deepfakes targeting PM Modi, Amit Shah, Maithili Thakur and others spark political clashes, FIRs and rising concerns over digital misinformation. Photos: X.
Political Deepfakes India: A fresh political row erupted after Congress spokesperson Ragini Nayak posted an AI-generated video depicting Prime Minister Narendra Modi carrying a tea kettle at what appeared to be a global event. The clip quickly circulated across social media, prompting sharp reactions from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla condemned the post, calling it an attack on PM Modi’s humble background. Sharing a screenshot of the video, he alleged that the Congress party “cannot stand” a leader who rose from modest origins.
“After Renuka Choudhary insults Parliament & Sena, now Ragini Nayak attacks and mocks PM Modi’s Chaiwala background. Naamdar Congress cannot stand a Kamdar PM from OBC community who has come from a poor background,” Poonawalla wrote on X.
The incident adds to a growing list of politically charged AI-generated content targeting public figures.
In January 2025, Delhi Police registered an FIR against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for allegedly posting AI-generated photos and videos of PM Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah on its official X handle, according to reports.
The case was filed at the North Avenue police station under relevant sections, though officials did not disclose specific FIR details.
One of the AI-generated videos recreated a scene from a 1990s Bollywood film, swapping villains’ faces with those of BJP leaders and modifying the audio to reference the Delhi elections, an officer said.
In November 2025, BJP’s newly elected MLA Maithili Thakur became the subject of a malicious online campaign. Several anti-social accounts circulated objectionable AI-generated images pairing her with PM Modi and Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) leader and Union Minister Chirag Paswan.
A social media user, Shubham Shukla, shared screenshots of the posts allegedly made by a Facebook user named “Jiddi Pawan Ahir.” The images portrayed Thakur as married to PM Modi and Chirag Paswan.
“Name, Jiddi Pawan Ahir; Work, Defaming 25-year-old woman MLA Maithili Thakur. He is posting AI photos, sometimes with Chirag Paswan, sometimes with PM Narendra Mod,” Shukla wrote.
Responding to the outrage, Bihar Police asked the complainant to share more details.
“Thank you for sharing the information. If you have the exact URL/link of the aforementioned content/profile or any other relevant information, please share it with us to assist in taking the necessary action,” the police commented.
In 2024, a manipulated video surfaced showing Union Home Minister Amit Shah allegedly stating that the BJP would stop certain social guarantees for minorities. Shah countered by posting both the original and edited versions on X and accused Congress of creating the fake clip, though he provided no evidence. He said he had issued “directions… to the police to address this issue.”
Another deepfake from May 2024 featured Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath seemingly criticising PM Modi for not doing enough for families of those killed in a 2019 militant attack. Fact-checkers later confirmed it was stitched from multiple real clips, but state police classified it as an “AI generated, deepfake.”
Using IP tracking, police arrested a man identified as Shyam Gupta on May 2 for sharing the video. It had garnered over 3,000 views and 11 likes.
Last month, the Assam Police CID detained four individuals, including three Congress workers, for allegedly circulating an AI-generated video styled after a popular TV show aimed at “defaming” Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
The purported clip falsely portrayed the CM as one of India’s most corrupt leaders. In the video, a contestant is asked to identify the most corrupt chief minister in the country, with Sarma’s name highlighted as the answer.
Soon after the clip began circulating, the CID registered a case based on a complaint filed by the BJP, leading to the detention of the four accused individuals.
During the 2024 general elections, satirical deepfakes also circulated widely, including clips depicting PM Modi dancing garba with women and another of Kamal Nath criticising a popular welfare scheme. Several deepfakes attempted to revive deceased leaders or manipulate political narratives.
In May 2025, the Deepfakes Analysis Unit (DAU) examined three videos showing the likenesses of PM Modi, External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar, and Home Minister Amit Shah. The fabricated narrative suggested the leaders were conceding defeat to Pakistan and asking for forgiveness.
DAU experts, using AI-detection tools in coordination with partner organisations, confirmed the videos were deepfakes.
Each video lasted approximately one minute and 10 seconds. The audio used predominantly Hindi with some Urdu words, while the accompanying post text was in Urdu.
All three videos were uploaded on May 10, 2025 from different accounts and were escalated to the DAU by multiple fact-checking partners.
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
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