Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], November 20 : Congress leader and advocate Ravi Prakash Jadhav on Wednesday during Maharashtra's ongoing assembly elections filed a complaint regarding an alleged doctored audio clip allegedly involving party's Maharashtra chief Nana Patole, NCP-SCP leader Supriya Sule, and Amitabh Gupta.
The audio clip, allegedly created using AI technology, was circulated on social media and aired on TV channels and YouTube by a BJP spokesperson and others.
Speaking to ANI, Jadhav said, "This is outright fraud and deceit--a fake video created using AI to mislead people. Considering that today is voting day, this appears to be a deliberate conspiracy by the BJP and their IT cell to misguide the public for political gain."
He further demanded strict action, saying, "Those responsible must be booked under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and IT Act for cybercrime and arrested at the earliest." Jadhav expressed disappointment over such alleged tactics during elections and urged citizens to vote wisely.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, after casting his vote, lashed out at the audio clips involving NCP-SCP leader Supriya Sule and Congress leader Nana Patole.
Fadnavis stated, "A former IPS officer has levelled allegations and released a few clips. This is a very serious matter. The voice seems to be similar to Supriya Sule, but let everything be clear. If anyone hears a doctor's voice, it can be deciphered through AI. We hope this is investigated and the truth comes out soon, as this is a matter of national security."
The allegations were initiated from claims by former IPS officer Ravindranath Patil. He alleged that Sule and Patole misappropriated bitcoins from a 2018 cryptocurrency fraud case to fund election campaigns. Patil said he is ready to cooperate with the investigation.
Earlier in the day, Congress leader Nana Patole dismissed the claims, saying his voice is not in the audio. Speaking to reporters after casting his vote in Bhandara, Patole said, "The IPS officer brought by BJP, Ravindra Patil, is not even an IPS officer. BJP has become a party of lies. On the eve of elections, they are doing all this. I am a farming man; I don't even understand Bitcoin."
Patole announced plans to take legal action, stating, "We have given a legal notice and filed an FIR. We will also file a defamation case against Sudhanshu Trivedi and Ravindra Patil. Our government is going to be formed in Maharashtra, and we will conduct a proper inquiry into this."
The Maharashtra Assembly elections have seen heated exchanges between political parties. Both the ruling BJP-led alliance and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi have accused each other of resorting to misinformation campaigns.