Why A Doctored Deepfake Video of Amit Shah is at the Centre of a Political Storm

A deepfake video of Union Home Minister Amit Shah has gone viral, creating a political storm in the country. The video claimed Amit Shah was talking about removing Reservation in India. The fake video had Shah saying, “If BJP comes to power, it will end the unconstitutional SC/ST (Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes) and OBC (Other Backward Classes) reservation.”

While speaking exclusively to Republic, Home Minister Amit Shah reacted to the deepfake video controversy. “The media has my real video. This shows that the Opposition doesn't have confidence. It has exposed the Opposition… Making fake videos is a sign that the Opposition has conceded defeat,” said Amit Shah.

What has the Opposition to do with the doctored video of Amit Shah?

The deepfake video of Amit Shah was allegedly shared by the Telangana Congress handle on social media. The Indian National Congress (INC) has refuted any claims of wrongdoing as regards the video. But Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy was summoned by the Delhi Police on Wednesday in connection with the doctored video of Amit Shah. Along with the CM, four other people from Telangana have been summoned.

After the Telangana Congress shared the deepfake video of Amit Shah on X, several party leaders and supporters reposted the video. This led to it being viral and created controversy, as the video is fake. The BJP has claimed that the video is fake and does not have Amit Shah’s original statements that he made during a political rally, of which the footage has been used.

The Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have both been accusing each other of plans to abolish reservation if one comes to power.

Delhi Police and Mumbai Police register complaint against deepfake video

The Delhi Police have filed a first information report (FIR) under Sections 153, 153A, 465, 469, 171G of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and section 66C of the Information Technology (IT) Act. Further, the Delhi Police has sent notices to social media platforms X and Facebook for information on the specific accounts and handles that uploaded and shared the deepfake video of Amit Shah. 

The Mumbai Police also registered a case against the social media handle of Maharashtra Youth Congress for sharing Amit Shah's deepfake video. The case was registered on a complaint filed by Mumbai BJP leader Pratik Karpe. 

Amit Shah’s stand on Reservation

Amit Shah in a rally on April 28 said that the BJP-NDA government, if it comes to power for the third term, will not alter Reservation in any manner. Shah refuted counter-claims being made by Congress MP Rahul Gandhi.

“Rahul Gandhi is trying to mislead people by spreading canards against us. The BJP has been at the helm of this country for 10 years now and was elected with absolute majority twice. If we had, indeed, been working with the intention or motivation to put an end to reservations in the country, it would have happened by now. These are nothing but lies,” Shah said. 

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Monday that a man named Reetom Singh aka Reetam Singh was arrested in connection with the deepfake video of Union Home Minister Amit Shah. From his social media, Reetom Singh seems to be a member of Assam Congress.

The Congress is in a soup now and no amount of denial will help in a clear case of deepfake video, altered to change the statements of a person no less than the Union Home Minister of India.