RANCHI: Ahead of the Ghatsila Assembly by-election in Jharkhand, a misleading AI-generated image purportedly showing BJP candidate Babulal Soren has gone viral on social media, sparking an uproar.
According to BJP leaders, the image was deliberately circulated to tarnish Soren’s reputation and mislead voters. Reacting sharply, BJP spokesperson Ajay Shah accused the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) of resorting to “the lowest level of politics” after sensing defeat in the by-poll.
“The JMM's IT cell and numerous fake social media handles, sponsored by it, are continuously spreading propaganda against Babulal Soren. A party with nothing to show for itself is now engaged in conspiracies to tarnish the image of opposition leaders,” said Shah.
“People have witnessed the JMM government’s poor performance over the past six years, which is why they are unable to contest elections on issues of truth and development. Hence, they are using ‘AI-generated lies’ as a weapon to mislead people,” he added.
The BJP has urged the Election Commission and police to identify those responsible for creating and circulating the fake image and to take strict legal action. The party has also sought the removal of all objectionable and defamatory posts from social media platforms.
Following the circulation of the fake image, an FIR was registered at Ghatshila police station against unidentified individuals. The complaint was filed by Kiran Soren, magistrate of the Flying Squad Team, and a junior engineer from the Galudih Irrigation Division.
BJP leaders are said to have approached officials to lodge the complaint, after which the FIR was filed.
The case has been registered under Section 66C of the Information Technology (Amendment) Act, Sections 300, 223, and 356(2) of the Indian Penal Code, and relevant provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1950.
Police said an investigation is underway to trace the source of the fake post on Facebook, adding that strict action will be taken against anyone involved in uploading or sharing the misleading content.
The Election Commission had recently directed all districts to take immediate action against those spreading false or misleading AI-generated material. This is the first FIR filed for an AI-generated fake post since those directives were issued.