Bhubaneswar: The misuse of artificial intelligence has sparked a fresh political row in Odisha. The opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has filed a complaint at Capital police station in Bhubaneswar over the alleged creation and circulation of deepfake and voice-cloned videos targeting former bureaucrat and party leader Sujata Rout Karthikeyan.
The complaint, filed by BJD leader Amrita Mishra against the unidentified operators of the social media account “Odianka Chhata” on Instagram and Facebook, accused the content of defaming, degrading and deliberately maligning the reputation of the senior woman leader.
According to the complaint, videos uploaded on October 18 used artificial intelligence and voice-cloning technology to fabricate material. One such video allegedly depicted Karthikeyan telephoning the principal of Kendrapasa Autonomous College, threatening him with dire consequences and attempting to influence student union elections. Mishra stated in the complaint that “the said content is entirely fabricated and has been manufactured with the sole intent to mislead the public, create discord, and lower the dignity and reputation of Sujata Rout Karthikeyan in the eyes of the public, as she belongs to the district of Kendrapada. The said content is solely created to politicise the matter as BJD has won in almost all colleges of Kendrapada.”
The party demanded registration of an FIR, a thorough investigation including forensic examination of the digital material, preservation of evidence, and strict legal action against those responsible for creating, uploading or circulating the content. It also urged police to obtain relevant information from Meta Platforms, which owns Facebook and Instagram, through lawful channels and to take steps to prevent further dissemination of the allegedly defamatory material.
Police confirmed they are investigating the matter.
The development follows the student union elections held across Odisha on October 15, after which the account reportedly began posting AI-generated videos targeting Leader of Opposition and BJD chief Naveen Patnaik as well as women leaders of the party.
Reacting to the episode, BJD MP Sulata Deo said, “Ever since our senior party leader, Sujata Rout, joined the BJD, she has been targeted by BJP workers, their party offices, and a network of fake online accounts. The reason for this is that the BJP is an organisation that neither values nor respects educated women… Sujata Rout is an educated woman who excelled in her academic pursuits… She played a pivotal role in empowering 70 lakh women, primarily through Self-Help Groups, an initiative she was instrumental in advancing… These individuals have stooped so low that they are using fake accounts and pages created by the BJP to circulate fabricated videos and content targeting a woman. You have seen this before; it has happened in the past, it is happening today, and it will continue to happen in the future… Action must be taken against these things…”
BJD spokesperson Dr Lenin Mohanty also condemned the videos, linking them to the party’s strong showing in the student elections and alleging an attempt to vilify women leaders after the results.
