Being Congressman, I've to work for party: Shivakumar on appointment as Assam election observer
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, who has been appointed as a senior observer for the upcoming Assam Assembly elections, on Thursday said that he had no option and, as a Congressman, would work for the party.
Shivakumar, along with former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and former Jharkhand MLA Bandhu Tirkey, was appointed on Wednesday by the Congress as the party’s senior observers for the Assam Assembly elections.
"I don’t have any option. Whatever the party tells us to do, we have to do it. That is what being a Congressman means. I have seen the AICC press release. They have asked me to look after Assam. I had been to Assam earlier as well, long ago, and now they want me there again. I will be going," Shivakumar, who is also the Karnataka Congress President, told reporters.
Elections to 126 constituencies in Assam are likely to be held in March-April.
ALSO READ: Shivakumar mocks JD(S), says party may merge with the BJP soon
Shivakumar’s appointment as a senior observer has triggered speculation, as he is widely seen as a claimant for the chief minister’s post, amid talk of a leadership change in Karnataka.
The power tussle within the ruling Congress has intensified amid speculation about a change in CM after the government crossed the halfway mark of its five-year term on November 20.
The speculation has been fueled by a reported power-sharing understanding between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar at the time of the Congress forming the government in 2023.
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Cong claims BJP govts got its 9 AI videos deleted, calls it 'blatant misuse' of rules
New Delhi (PTI): The Congress on Thursday claimed that nine of its videos created using artificial intelligence have been "forcefully deleted" by BJP governments at the Centre and in states, and said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should work in the nation's interest instead of "curbing" every voice of dissent.
The opposition party alleged that the deletion of the videos was a "blatant misuse" of the blocking rules against political adversaries and that there was a complete lack of transparency in the process.
There was no immediate response from the government or the BJP to the Congress' allegations.
Congress social media department head Supriya Shrinate alleged that the Modi government has left no stone unturned in strangling India's artificial intelligence (AI) potential.
"First, by handing over all our data to America in the trade deal, and now, amid the embarrassing mismanagement at the ongoing AI summit and the shameful revelations of theft and imitation that have tarnished India's image.
"But ironically, the same Narendra Modi, who makes grand statements about AI, actually fears artificial intelligence," she said at a press conference here.
In the last six weeks, nine videos created by the Congress using AI have been "forcefully deleted" by the "coward" prime minister, his central and BJP state governments, Shrinate claimed.
"Let me make it absolutely clear (that) all these videos carried the legally required AI disclaimer. Throughout the entire duration of the videos, 'AI-generated video' is prominently displayed at the top, which clearly proves that there was no attempt to mislead or deceive anyone," she said.
Yet, Prime Minister Modi himself and the BJP are so terrified of the truth that they are even afraid of its dramatic AI representation, she claimed.
"These videos show how cowardly Prime Minister Modi turned his back on his responsibility by telling General Naravane and the Army... How Modi compromised India's national interest while pursuing a trade deal with America," Shrinate said.
She claimed that some deletion orders for these AI videos were sent to social media platforms by police in BJP-ruled states like Bihar, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra while some came directly from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology under Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
"This is blatant misuse of the blocking and the IT Rules, 2021, against political adversaries. There is a complete lack of transparency on why a video is being taken down, there is no public order but complete secrecy. Which is why there is no ground for challenging these blockings and deletions in court. At least tell us what was illegal in these videos, what has been violated," Shrinate said.
"This is how authoritarian regimes work -- by giving orders to social media platforms to take down or block content arbitrarily in complete secrecy," she said.
The Congress leader said she welcomes curbing deep fakes and asked if political satires with AI disclaimers are the same.
"Is the government objecting to political satire and commentary on the prime minister which is perfectly legitimate in any democracy?" she asked.
Amid the controversy over Galgotias University displaying a made-in-China robotic dog as its own innovation at the India AI Impact Summit, Shrinate asked when the PM can pass off others' work as his own and rename Congress schemes to fool people, why wouldn't the rest of the country do the same.
"When the prime minister spends the whole day spouting rhetoric, those who steal and imitate are emboldened. When scientific temper is abandoned and superstition and delusions are encouraged, robots will not be built, they will just be bought from China.
"Imitation is not innovation, but does the government care? Modi ji, no matter what you say, your legacy is that private university which has brought us global shame," she said.
"Instead of getting AI videos deleted and curbing every voice of dissent and disagreement, PM Modi, you should work in the nation's interest, stop bowing before America, talk about farmers' rights, don't run away from Parliament, throw out your minister who has connections with a monster like Epstein, and stop compromising the country for Adani," Shrinate said.
