Oppn plans to disrupt polls with fake videos: PM Modi

SATARA/SOLAPUR: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday accused the opposition of planning to disrupt peaceful elections in the country by circulating fake videos of senior BJP leaders - including that of him and Union home minister Amit Shah - "to create tension in society to trigger untoward incidents" during the poll month.
"They have created fake videos of me, Amitbhai, Naddaji (BJP president JP Nadda) and some of our chief ministers.Using artificial intelligence, they have put such words and sentences in our mouths that we cannot even dream of uttering," Modi said.
"I am making this charge with all seriousness. I want to make a special request to Election Commission of India (ECI) to take stringent action to prevent these tactics aimed at triggering fire (in society) by creating rift and tension," he said at a rally in Satara for Lok Sabha candidate, Udayanraje Bhonsle.
Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and other senior Mahauti leaders also addressed the rally. The PM said the opposition, which has failed to counter NDA on development and other key issues, has resorted to using social media for spreading lies.
He warned people against circulating such video clips, saying such actions were a crime and he does not wish innocent people to be punished for that. "If you get these videos on WhatsApp, please alert us. Do not circulate. Approach police," Modi said, adding that govt would go all out to uphold the truth.
While addressing a rally in Solapur, the reserved constituency in western Maharashtra where BJP's Ram Satpute is taking on Congress' Praniti Shinde, daughter of veteran Congress leader and former Union minister Sushilkumar Shinde, earlier in the day, Modi focused his speech to underline how his government has worked as "the saviour" to protect the rights of Dalits and other oppressed classes.
"Check my records for the last five years. I have numbers (in Parliament) on my side. But I never wanted to walk on that path (revoking reservations)," he said, refuting the opposition's allegations that BJP's long-term aim was to do away with reservations.
"Forget about me, even Babasaheb Ambedkar (had he been alive) would not be able to scrap reservations in India. I am committed to upholding the reservation policy for all oppressed classes - SC, STs and OBCs... I believe our ancestors may have committed a sin. Continuing reservation is penance," he said.
He cited various schemes undertaken by NDA govt for the uplift of the Dalits and oppressed class and claimed that over 25 crore people have overcome poverty during his govt's tenure. "Niyat sahi hai to natije bhi sahi milte hai (If you have an honest motive, you get positive results)," he said.
'No religion-based quota
till Modi is alive'
During the Satara rally, Modi said he could give it in writing that Congress' attempts to expand nationwide the "Karnataka model" of granting reservation to all Muslims through the OBC quota will fail. "Till Modi is alive, he (Modi) will not allow such a reservation policy based on religion," the PM said.