The Assam Congress lodged a police complaint accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of spreading AI-generated videos designed to stoke communal divisions ahead of the upcoming Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) elections.
The FIR registered at the Dispur Police Station by the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee’s Media Department chairman, Bedabrata Bora, names Assam BJP president Dilip Saikia, state social media convener Shaktidhar Deka, and other functionaries of the party’s digital wing.
The charges include criminal conspiracy, incitement to communal disturbances, promoting enmity between groups, and violating the Election Commission’s Model Code of Conduct.
According to the complaint, one of the videos—uploaded on September 15 and titled “Assam without BJP”—projected a dystopian image of the state allegedly under Congress rule. It showed an exaggerated 90 per cent Muslim population, visuals of meat shops, liquor stalls, and Islamic motifs, accompanied by captions urging viewers to “choose your vote carefully.”
The Congress argued that the content not only vilified Muslims but also sought to malign party leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and state Congress chief Gaurav Gogoi, in order to polarise voters.
The party further alleged that this was not an isolated instance. A similar AI-generated video was reportedly circulated on September 12, while more recent edits shared on X portrayed illegal immigrants occupying iconic sites such as the Guwahati airport, the state stadium, and the historic Rangghar amphitheatre. These clips were captioned with provocative messages such as “We can’t let this dream of paijan be true.”
The Congress has urged police to conduct a forensic probe into the origin of the videos, seize devices used by the BJP’s social media teams, and direct platforms to remove the content under the IT Act, 2000. The party has also sought intervention from the Election Commission, citing repeated violations of the Model Code of Conduct.
Reacting to the controversy, Gaurav Gogoi dismissed the BJP’s campaign tactics as shallow. “The words, actions, and images produced by the BJP IT cell do not have the strength to scratch the surface of Assamese society. Assam deserves politics that uplifts people to new heights,” he said.
The BTC elections hold political significance not only for the Bodoland Territorial Region but also for Assam’s larger electoral map. Parties are seen as using the polls to consolidate ground ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.
While the BJP has not issued an official response to the FIR, the incident has already sharpened the battle lines between the two parties in a state where narratives around immigration and demographic change remain potent electoral tools.