BJP MP pulls out of Lok Sabha race after 'fake' video surfaces

LUCKNOW: A day after an obscene video allegedly involving him surfaced on social media, BJP MP Upendra Singh Rawat, who has been fielded again by the party from Barabanki, said on Monday he "will not contest any election till proven innocent".

Demanding an investigation, Barabank MP has lodged an FIR against an unknown accused that says a forged obscene video of him has been uploaded on social media to malign his public image after he was fielded again by BJP.

In the five-minute video, which he alleges has been generated through "deep fake AI technology", a man purported to be the MP is seen in the company of a woman, apparently from abroad.

The FIR, lodged by the MP's personal secretary, Dinesh Chandra Rawat, is against an unidentified person under IPC Sections 419 (cheating by personation) and 501 (printing defamatory matter), and sections of the IT Act, said Kotwali police station in-charge Aditya Tripathi.

"My opponents did this act as soon as they came to know that I will be contesting the election," he said and hoped the accused would be identified soon.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, BJP had denied a ticket to the then MP, Priyanka Singh Rawat, and made Upendra Singh Rawat its candidate. Barabanki is a reserved (SC) seat. Upendra had defeated SP candidate Ram Sagar Rawat by over 1 lakh votes in the last election.