Kiren Rijiju Mocks Congress Over AI Rally Image
Union Minister questions an image shared by Congress leaders as the BJP and INDIA bloc trade claims over attendance at the Ramlila Maidan rally.
- Rijiju accuses Congress leaders of sharing an AI-generated rally image.
- BJP claims around 40 per cent of the venue was empty.
- Congress had projected an attendance of 10 lakh people.
- Rahul Gandhi and BJP leaders exchanged allegations over electoral integrity.
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 2nd Nov: Union Minister Kiren Rijiju has accused the Congress of sharing an AI-generated image to portray a packed Ramlila Maidan during Sunday’s INDIA bloc rally, triggering a fresh political exchange over the gathering’s actual turnout.
Rijiju took to X after Congress MP Vamsi Gaddam and other party leaders shared an image showing a large crowd at the venue. Calling it an AI-generated picture, the minister said the Congress had failed even to create a convincing visual representation of the gathering.
The same image was also shared by former MP and Congress Working Committee member Jagdish Thakor. Social media users questioned its authenticity, pointing to apparent differences in the depiction of Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and the rally stage compared with images from the actual event.
BJP Questions Rally Turnout
The BJP described the rally as a flop show and shared photographs and videos showing vacant chairs at the venue. Party MP and spokesperson Sambit Patra claimed that around 5,000 to 7,000 chairs out of the 28,000 arranged at the ground were empty between 3:30 pm and 4 pm.
Patra also questioned the Congress’s pre-rally projection of 10 lakh attendees, alleging that nearly 40 per cent of the ground remained unoccupied. He dismissed the crowd visuals as an example of “trick photography”.
The Congress, meanwhile, shared drone footage and other images from the venue to counter the BJP’s claims and maintain that a large number of people had attended the protest.
Rahul Gandhi Targets Election Commission
Addressing the gathering, Rahul Gandhi accused Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar of facilitating what he described as vote theft during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. He called the alleged manipulation a betrayal of voters and claimed that Kumar would face legal consequences.
The BJP rejected Gandhi’s allegations. Patra challenged the Congress leader to produce a legal petition questioning the validity of the 2024 election, arguing that such claims should be raised through the appropriate legal process.
Opposition Campaign Against CEC
Sunday’s rally formed part of the INDIA bloc’s campaign demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Opposition parties have raised concerns over the Election Commission’s functioning and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
A day before the rally, Opposition leaders held a symbolic “impeachment” of the CEC at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence.
The Election Commission and the BJP have rejected the Opposition’s allegations, accusing it of creating a misleading narrative around the electoral process.
