UP Cong chief booked over 'abusive' remarks against PM

Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Rai has been booked for allegedly making objectionable remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which he claims were generated by AI.

Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Rai was booked for allegedly making objectionable remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a programme in Mahoba district, police said on Saturday.

Rai has maintained that a purported video showing him making the alleged remarks is ''AI-generated.''.

The FIR was lodged at Kotwali Nagar police station on Saturday on the complaint of Neeraj Rawat, a BJP worker.

According to the complaint, Rai attended a programme organised on May 22 in Samad Nagar locality by former Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee secretary Brijraj Ahirwar. Rawat alleged that Rai arrived with a convoy of 15-16 vehicles and 25-30 supporters, causing obstruction on a public road and affecting normal movement in the area.

The complainant further alleged that police and administrative personnel had to leave their regular duties to maintain law and order at the venue.

He also accused Rai of using ''abusive and objectionable language'' against the prime minister during the programme, claiming that videos of the remarks later went viral on social media.

A purported video of Rai surfaced on Friday in which he was heard making ''abusive'' remarks against Modi in Mahoba.

Terming the video fake and AI-generated by the BJP, Rai told PTI that he would lodge a police complaint in the matter once he reaches Lucknow.

BJP leaders, including Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and BJP state president Pankaj Chaudhary, have condemned the ''abusive'' remarks.

Police said the FIR was registered against Rai, Brijraj Ahirwar and 25-30 unidentified supporters.

The FIR has been registered under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) including sections 126(2) (wrongful restraint), 132 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of duty), 189(2) (unlawful assembly), 196(1) (promoting enmity between different groups) and 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), police said.

Rawat alleged in his complaint that the remarks hurt public sentiments, triggered anger among BJP workers and created social tension. He submitted a pen drive containing the purported viral video to the police as evidence and sought legal action against Rai, Brijraj Ahirwar and 25-30 unidentified supporters.

Responding to the FIR against him, Rai told PTI Videos that the case was being used to divert attention from the alleged sexual assault of a Dalit girl in Mahoba.

Rai also alleged that the administration attempted to stop him from meeting the victim's family by deploying heavy police force in the area.

An ''AI-generated video'' was being circulated to suppress the issue and deny justice to the girl, he said, adding that he would continue raising the issue even if ''hundreds of FIRs'' were lodged against him.

The development comes amid a political row in Uttar Pradesh over Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's recent ''traitor'' remarks targeting the prime minister, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh during a rally in Raebareli.

Earlier this week, cross complaints were filed in Lucknow against Gandhi and Uttar Pradesh minister Dinesh Pratap Singh over the remarks and the BJP leader's response to them.