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New Delhi: Union Minister for Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju has come under intense criticism for promoting fake news based on an AI-generated video that falsely portrays a Pakistani politician as saying, “Our people are sitting in India’s Parliament.” The video was first circulated by BJP IT cell member Rishi Bagree and later amplified by Rijiju on X (formerly Twitter), triggering widespread backlash.

Rijiju’s post, which implicitly targeted the Indian opposition, was quickly flagged as fake by fact-checker Mohammed Zubair of Alt News. “Minister for Minority Affairs @KirenRijiju peddles fake news (based on an AI-generated video by BJP IT cell member @rishibagree) of Pakistani Minister to target Indian opposition leaders,” Zubair wrote on X, sharing evidence confirming the video’s AI origins.

Despite overwhelming evidence of manipulation, Republic TV ran a report echoing Rijiju’s baseless claims without conducting independent verification. Their headline, “Why Did Pakistani Politicians Say ‘Our People Are Sitting In Indian Parliament?’ Asks Kiren Rijiju”, failed to acknowledge the doctored nature of the video or mention that it had been debunked by fact-checkers.

At a time when Parliament is dealing with sensitive matters such as national security and the ‘Operation Sindoor’, the spread of such misinformation from a sitting Cabinet minister has sparked concerns about the credibility of official communication and the growing use of AI-generated content in political propaganda.

TMC MP Saket Gokhale reacted sharply to Rijiju’s post, sarcastically remarking, “For Modi’s minister, a Pakistani politician is more credible than the US President,” referring to Donald Trump’s recent claim of brokering a ceasefire in the subcontinent. Gokhale added, “Perhaps that’s what he meant by ‘our people in India’s Parliament.’”

Congress leader Pawan Khera also lashed out, saying, “Looks like Kiren Rijiju is auditioning for Amit Malviya’s job. Since yesterday, he has been parroting claims based on an AI-morphed video pushed by a low-IQ BJP IT cell member.”

Khera went further, connecting the controversy to recent revelations about Operation Sindoor. He alleged that Rijiju’s eagerness to highlight the fake video stemmed from an attempt to divert attention from the fact that “S. Jaishankar informed Pakistan before Operation Sindoor, and Rajnath Singh admitted to calling them for a ceasefire 30 minutes after it began.”

He also criticised Rijiju for reposting the same fake video after deleting his original tweet, calling it “pathetic” and questioning the Minister’s ability to distinguish between real and doctored content. “Such sub-zero IQ is only appropriate for the IT cell, and now perhaps for Modi's cabinet too,” Khera remarked.

As of now, neither Rijiju nor Republic TV has issued a retraction or clarification, even as the fabricated nature of the video continues to be widely reported and condemned.

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Agra (UP) (PTI): Four people were arrested, after a prompt response by police following a social media alert, for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman and a girl inside a moving bus here, officials said on Tuesday.

According to an official police statement, at 12:27 am on April 27, information was received on the social media platform X about an incident of sexual assault on a bus travelling from Kanpur to Ahmedabad, which was approaching Namner crossing in Agra.

Acting under the direction of Police Commissioner Deepak Kumar, the Agra Police social media team immediately alerted the Rakabganj police station within minutes and coordinated with the victims to confirm the incident and obtain the exact location, it stated.

Police teams launched intensive checking at Namner crossing and intercepted the bus as it reached the spot. The four accused involved in the incident were apprehended on the spot, and legal action was initiated against them, the statement said.

The police said the swift response and coordination between the social media team and field units ensured timely action, bringing relief to the victims and other passengers, who expressed gratitude towards the police, it added.

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