Guwahati, Apr 4 (PTI) Opposition Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) candidate Kunki Chowdhury on Saturday filed a police complaint for alleged deep fake defamatory videos on social media about her family, following Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s claims on her mother’s food habit.
The development comes two days after Sarma claimed that Kunki’s mother, academician Sujata Gurung Chowdhury, had shared posts related to beef consumption, made remarks offensive to certain sections and supported Pakistan, thereby hurting the sentiments of ‘Sanatani’ people.
“These videos falsely depict me in a manner intended to harm my character, reputation, dignity and electoral prospects,” Kunki, a candidate of Guwahati Central, said in her complaint.
She stated that the perpetrators have even gone to the extent of dragging her mother into the maliciously created fake videos, thereby also afflicting severe mental harm upon her and tarnishing her good image in society.
“The content being disseminated has been morphed and fabricated using AL/deepfake technology… These videos are also circulated to most likely incite public misunderstanding and to try and influence electoral dignity,” the AJP leader said.
Urging the police to treat the matter as urgent, she demanded immediate action against the culprits as it not only affects the dignity of women, but also the “fairness of the electoral process due to the misuse of AI, attempts at character assassination, defaming me and my mother as well as wrongfully swaying public sentiment against me, my family and my political candidature”.
When contacted, a police officer said that they are looking into the complaint and have begun an investigation into the allegations.
Speaking to reporters after filing the complaint, Kunki alleged that a few of the social media users, who uploaded the fake videos, are associated with the ruling BJP and close to CM Sarma.
“I don’t know why the BJP is stooping to such a low level against me. I am just a new entrant in politics, and they are doing this to me,” she added.
Armed with a master’s degree from University College London, 27-year-old Kunki, among the youngest candidates in the fray, is making her electoral debut from Guwahati Central constituency. She is pitted against senior BJP leader Vijay Kumar Gupta.
After CM Sarma’s allegations on her mother, Kunki on Thursday posted a sarcastic video on social media in which she thanked Sarma for making her a household name in the country.
“A big thanks to the honourable chief minister. I learnt that during a media interaction, he made some allegations against my mother, which are completely untrue,” she had said.
Kunki had maintained that the allegations prove that “the BJP has accepted defeat in Guwahati Central seat”.
“It has been just 15 days since I have joined politics, and within this short span of time, the love that people of Guwahati Central and Assam have given me has worried them. With him (Sarma) uttering my name, the entire country will now know who is Kunki Chowdhury. I thank him again,” she had added.
Polling for the 126-member Assam Assembly will be held on April 9. The votes will be counted on May 4. PTI TR TR RG
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.