New Delhi, February 19 – The Congress party accused the Union government on Thursday of ordering the removal of nine AI-generated satirical videos from the party’s social media accounts.
Accusing the Centre of hypocrisy and double standards, Congress spokesperson and chairperson of its social media and digital platforms, Supriya Shrinate, described it as ironic that the government "was misusing the provisions of the Information Technology Act and censoring AI content while holding the AI Summit".
Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Shrinate claimed that nine AI-generated videos created by the Congress have been deleted over the last six weeks "at the behest of the Narendra Modi government and state administrations ruled by the BJP".
The Congress spokesperson said that the orders were issued either by police authorities in BJP-ruled states, including Bihar, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra, or by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
She claimed that there is a lack of transparency regarding why a video is being taken down, with no public order and complete secrecy, making judicial challenges difficult.
Shrinate asserted that the videos prominently carried the "AI Generated Video" disclaimers, and were created as political satire and dramatized commentary on issues that the Opposition has consistently raised in Parliament and at public forums.
The Congress leader also contended that the newly proposed online censorship portal "Sahyog" empowers multiple government officials to issue "takedown directives", which she noted, amounted to expanding executive control over digital speech.
"Now, bureaucrats will decide what the nation should and should not watch," she remarked.
She also raised concerns over alleged mismanagement at the ongoing AI Summit being held in New Delhi, referring to logistical lapses, restrictions on equipment, and inadequate internet connectivity for participants.
Pointing out the contribution of former Prime Minister late Jawaharlal Nehru "who built institutions like the IITs and IIMs", Shrinate claimed that "global CEOs are the products of those institutions".
She also alleged that the police were trying to "threaten and intimidate" members of the Congress IT cell.
