A fresh political firestorm erupted on June 26 as the Congress party lashed out at the BJP over a controversial AI-generated video posted on social media that compared former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to Adolf Hitler, calling the Emergency imposed in 1975 a “Hitlerian vestige in a saree.”
The video, posted on BJP Karnataka’s official X (formerly Twitter) handle, portrayed a digitally altered Indira Gandhi with a Hitler-style toothbrush moustache, declaring the imposition of Emergency. The clip described June 25, the day Emergency was declared, as “the night India lost its voice and democracy was buried.”
The narration added, “Fear ruled the streets, the press was silenced, leaders were jailed… Freedom was stolen and curfews were forced… A nation watched helplessly.”
Congress Reacts with Legal Action and Outrage
Karnataka Congress General Secretary S. Manohar filed a police complaint against the BJP, alleging the post was:
- Deeply disrespectful to former PM Indira Gandhi
- Designed to provoke hatred between religious groups and communities
- Intended to spread misinformation and incite disharmony
Manohar demanded strict legal action against the official BJP social media handle, calling the content “slanderous and divisive.”
BJP’s Annual Emergency Offensive
Every year since coming to power in 2014, the BJP has used the anniversary of the Emergency to target the Congress for its “authoritarian” past. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and BJP Chief JP Nadda have routinely referred to it as “the darkest chapter in India’s democracy.”
This year was no different.
- PM Modi: “Those who imposed Emergency have no right to profess love for the Constitution. They jailed the nation to cling to power.”
- Amit Shah: “Emergency was the act of a despotic ruler. It exposed Congress’ anti-democratic mindset.”
Congress Hits Back: Focus on Today, Not the Past
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge countered the BJP’s narrative, stating:
“The Prime Minister’s sudden interest in the Constitution is only to distract from real issues. Those who did not contribute to India’s freedom or to the Constitution are now pretending to defend it.”
The Congress emphasized that while the Emergency period (1975–1977) was indeed painful, India has moved on, and the real threats to democracy today lie in the erosion of institutions and increasing authoritarianism.
The use of AI-generated deepfake videos to portray political figures has raised concerns across civil society and legal circles. Critics argue such tactics:
- Distort historical memory
- Undermine respectful political discourse
- Risk inciting communal or ideological tensions
With the 2024 Lok Sabha elections still fresh in memory and the Constitution debate heating up, this latest controversy may further intensify the already polarized political climate. Legal experts are now watching closely how the police handle the FIR and whether the Election Commission or Ministry of Information and Broadcasting steps in.
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