'I'm not a spy': Ex-Uttarakhand CM Harish Rawat on AI-generated video; stages march, sits in protest near BJP office

DEHRADUN: Former chief minister and Congress veteran Harish Rawat staged a march along with other party members towards BJP state headquarters in Dehradun on Thursday after an AI-generated video purportedly depicted him as a "spy". The clip also accused the ex-CM of appeasing a section of minorities."I'm not a spy. Now, either they (BJP) give me proof that I'm a spy or they've to apologise... Before every election, they always come up with such tactics to deliberately give a wrong message to voters," said Rawat, who had also filed a complaint in this regard in the city's Nehru colony police station on Tuesday.After a brief scuffle with police on their way to BJP office, Congress members, including Rawat, staged a sit-in protest with placards and raised slogans against the ruling govt on Thursday. "We won't give up till the time truth comes to the fore," Rawat said.In the FIR, he claimed that BJP's state unit had uploaded a "derogatory and AI-generated video on the party's official page operated by BJP Uttarakhand state president and other associate members" on Dec 18, portraying him as an "anti-national" to tarnish his public image. "I am deeply hurt by this act as I have no connection whatsoever with this video and I am very distressed after seeing this (clip), which inflames religious sentiments," the application, signed by the ex-CM, stated. The FIR was registered against "unknown" social media users under BNS sections and the IT Act.Rawat also said that in the 2017 and 2022 state polls, baseless allegations were levelled against him. "BJP accused me of granting leave for Friday namaz and the party had also spread misleading news that a Congress govt in the state would build a Muslim university," Rawat added.Meanwhile, BJP's Uttarakhand unit said the video was neither made by the party nor was it their intention to tarnish anyone's image. BJP's media in-charge Manveer Singh Chauhan said: "If any case has been filed by Harish Rawat, it will be probed, as the party also wants investigation of such clips and it will follow all legal procedures."