The Patna High Court on Wednesday directed the Congress to remove from all social media platforms an AI-generated video portraying Prime Minister Narendra Modi dreaming of his late mother, Heeraben Modi, after it provoked widespread outrage and a political storm.
The order, pronounced by Acting Chief Justice PB Bajantari, came in response to petitions seeking judicial intervention in what has been described as a “deeply disrespectful” use of artificial intelligence technology for political purposes.
The controversy began when the Bihar unit of the Congress uploaded the video on its official social media handles last week. The clip, widely circulated online, depicted Modi’s late mother, Heeraben, in an AI-generated form, triggering strong condemnation from Bharatiya Janata Party leaders, who accused the Congress of stooping to “unprecedented lows” in political discourse.
The furore intensified after a separate video surfaced during the Congress-led Voter Adhikar Yatra in Darbhanga, where an unidentified man hurled abuses at Modi and his mother from the stage. BJP leaders cited both incidents to accuse the opposition party of systematically maligning the Prime Minister and his family.
Also read: AI video of PM's late mother: Delhi Police lodge FIR against Cong
The BJP Delhi Election Cell convenor Sanket Gupta lodged a First Information Report against Congress leaders, alleging an attempt to tarnish Modi’s reputation. The FIR invoked several provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, including Sections 18(2), 336(3), 336(4), 340(2), 352, 356(2), and 61(2).
The Congress, however, has insisted there was no intention to disrespect either the Prime Minister or his mother. Party sources maintained that an internal inquiry had been initiated in Bihar to identify those responsible for uploading the controversial content. “The party had no role in disrespecting the Prime Minister or his mother,” a leader said.
Legal experts pointed out that this was among the first high-profile cases in which a court intervened to curb the dissemination of AI-generated content in political campaigns, signalling the judiciary’s growing concern over the misuse of emerging technology in public life.
The order is expected to set a precedent for future disputes involving deepfakes, especially in the run-up to elections where digital campaigning is assuming unprecedented significance.
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