'Gandhiwadi or Gaaliwadi?': Congress faces backlash for AI video imitating Modi’s mother, ahead of Bihar polls

BJP leaders accuse Congress of orchestrating the video under Rahul Gandhi's directive; term it a deliberate insult to the nation’s mothers and sisters

Barely a couple of weeks since the abuse row rocked the election-bound Bihar, a political firestorm has erupted in the State after the Congress unit released an AI-generated video depicting a dreamlike exchange purportedly between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his late mother, Heeraben Modi.

The 36-second clip, shared on X, shows Modi being rebuked by his mother for allegedly misusing her (Heeraben Modi) in his politics to pursue power. Captioned 'Sahab ke sapnon mein aayi Maa', which translates to 'Mother comes in Sahab's dream', the video has been widely circulated, intensifying the already volatile political climate in Bihar.

The video triggered strong condemnation from the BJP, with national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla branding the Congress “Gaaliwadi instead of Gandhiwadi”, accusing it of insulting women and mocking the dignity of the underprivileged.

BJP leaders, including Pradeep Bhandari, accused the Congress of orchestrating the video under Rahul Gandhi's directive, labelling it a deliberate insult to the nation’s mothers and sisters. They demanded action from the Election Commission and warned of public backlash in Bihar. BJP MP Radha Mohan Das Agrawal condemned the video as a political low, while Rajasthan BJP president Madan Rathore termed it “highly condemnable”, accusing the Congress of resorting to cheap tactics after political setbacks.

The video’s release follows a series of charged incidents in the election-bound State, including a controversial episode in Darbhanga where abusive slogans were allegedly chanted against Modi and his mother from a Congress-RJD rally stage.

Modi's response

In a rare public response to it, Modi expressed deep anguish, calling the insult “unimaginable” and “an affront to all mothers, sisters, and daughters of the nation”. He underscored that his mother, who passed away in December 2022 at the age of 99, had no political affiliations.

Modi, in his emotional remarks made during a women’s entrepreneurship event, emphasised that the abuse targeted not just his mother but millions of Indian women.

The Congress, while not directly acknowledging the video, defended itself by alleging similar attacks by the BJP in the past, suggesting hypocrisy. RJD's Rohini Acharya pointed to Modi’s past controversial remarks about Congress leader Sonia Gandhi and other women in the party, arguing that no party should politicise family ties.