JAIPUR: Four individuals, including a woman from Punjab and three men from Madhya Pradesh, have been arrested by Rajasthan Police in connection with the circulation of a fake letter and AI-generated video allegedly targeting former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje.
The accused, identified as Nikhil, Bilal Khan, Inam Ahmed, and Amrita Dhumal, are said to be linked to the Congress IT cell. They were brought to Jaipur and are set to be produced before a court, where police will seek custody to probe a wider network behind the operation.
According to investigators, the group allegedly used mobile applications and AI tools to create and circulate a forged letter in Raje’s name, purportedly addressed to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat. The letter falsely claimed that Raje criticised the BJP over the “Nari Shakti Vandan” law. Raje had earlier dismissed the letter as fake, calling it a fabrication by vested interests.
The Congress, however, has slammed the arrests as a political conspiracy to tarish the party’s image. Reacting sharply, senior MLA in Rajasthan Harish Chaudhary who is also the Congress In-charge for Madhya Pradesh, termed the arrests politically motivated and linked the controversy to internal discord within the BJP.
He alleged that Congress IT Cell workers have been falsely implicated and demanded their immediate release, calling for a fair and impartial probe. He also warned that the party would approach the courts if justice is not ensured.
Meanwhile, BJP’s Rajasthan state in-charge Radhamohan Agarwal defended Raje, describing her as a symbol of women’s empowerment and branding the episode a “Congress conspiracy.” He asserted that Raje had already clarified her position and assured that a thorough investigation would be carried out.
Separately, Congress MP Vivek Tankha raised concerns over the handling of the case by the Bhopal Cyber Police. In a Facebook post, he questioned the detention of the accused for over 27 hours without clear justification. He pointed out that the alleged letter had been widely circulated on social media since April 15-16 and was only declared fake on the evening of April 18, arguing that the subsequent detentions appeared unjustified.
This curious controversy erupted on April 18, when a forged letter - purportedly written by Vasundhara Raje and addressed to Mohan Bhagwat - surfaced online. The letter contained remarks deviating from the BJP’s official stance, particularly linking the Women’s Reservation Bill with the process of delimitation.
Raje swiftly dismissed the letter as fake through a social media post, stating that “truth needs no defence” and attributing the fabrication to “mischief by vested interests.”
The incident has since escalated political tensions, with speculation that the episode may be tied to internal factionalism within the Rajasthan BJP. Meanwhile, the police continue to investigate the case, focusing on identifying the full network involved in creating and disseminating the fabricated content.