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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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Belagavi (Karnataka) (PTI): The Karnataka Excise Department has conducted a statewide crackdown on illegal liquor trade over the last two years, resulting in arrests and seizures of alcohol, Karnataka Excise Minister R B Timmapur said on Tuesday.

As many as 1,09,017 people were arrested, and seizures included 13.66 lakh litres of liquor and 27.19 lakh litres of beer, he said in a written reply to a starred question by Harihar BJP MLA B P Harish in the Karnataka Assembly.

The Minister said the enforcement drive covered the financial year 2023–24, 2024–25 up to June, and 2025–26 from July to October, targeting unauthorised liquor manufacture, storage, sale and transportation across the State.

"During this period, statewide enforcement drives resulted in a total of 1,84,570 raids against illegal liquor sales,” Timmapur said.

ALSO READ: BJP accuses Karnataka govt of 'failing' to prevent noise pollution caused by 'azaan'

He noted that 9,179 non-bailable cases and 91,968 bailable and compoundable cases under Section 15(A) of the Karnataka Excise Act, 1965, were registered during the same period.

According to him, there have been no reports indicating that students have become addicted to alcohol due to illegal liquor sales.

The sale of alcohol to minors is strictly prohibited under the Karnataka Excise Act, 1965, and the department has issued periodic instructions to initiate legal action against violators, with strict enforcement and investigation measures in place, the Minister said.

Excise officials are carrying out regular road and night patrols, collecting intelligence, monitoring habitual offenders and conducting raids to identify illicit distillation units, unauthorised liquor outlets and spurious liquor manufacturing centres, he said, adding the department is also enforcing the law to prevent the production, storage, sale and transport of spurious, non-duty-paid and unauthorised liquor.

Regular patrols are being conducted on national and state highways, with suspicious vehicles being subjected to checks.

At the district level, standing committee meetings are held under the chairmanship of Deputy Commissioners, and joint operations are carried out with the police and forest departments to curb excise-related offences.

The department is also conducting awareness programmes through Gram Sabhas and in schools and colleges to educate the public and students about the physical, mental and social health hazards associated with alcohol addiction and substance abuse, Timmapur added.

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