Congress has opened a factory of manufacturing fake news: PM Modi

New Delhi, April 30 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the top leadership of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday severely criticised the Congress, alleging that the party is "misleading the public" through fake videos. 

"Modi is tirelessly working day and night to change your lives, while the opposition, the INDI Agadhi, is using all its strength to change Modi instead," the Prime Minister said while addressing an election rally in Maharashtra's Dharashiv on Tuesday.

Accusing the Congress of "scaring" the public "sometimes in the name of democracy, sometimes in the name of the Constitution, and sometimes in the name of reservation", PM Modi said the party is "furious" with him for having exposed all the scams.  

"Now they've even opened a shop for fake videos. Serious allegations have been levelled against the Congress and its members for creating fake videos. I ask you, should the shops of those selling such lies be closed or not," PM Modi asked the gathering.

The Prime Minister was expressing his concerns over the misuse of technology for the second time in less than 24 hours.

"This is the age of social media and technology. Those who are defeated in polls are using technology to create fake videos. By using AI, my voice is faked and videos are being circulated. If you come across any such videos, inform the party or the police," he said while addressing a rally in Karnataka's Bagalkot on Monday.

A doctored video of Union Home Minister Amit Shah also went viral on social media recently, where his statement indicating a commitment to abolishing reservation quotas for Muslims was changed to make it seem that he was advocating the scrapping of reservations entirely.

The BJP, while sharing the original video with the public, said that it has exposed the falsehoods spread by the Congress.  

Addressing a press conference at the BJP state office in Guwahati on Tuesday, Amit Shah said the Congress' attempt to "disseminate fake videos to garner fake public support" is highly condemnable.

Several BJP state units also took to social media, blaming the Congress for the fake video of Home Minister Shah.

"FIRs have been filed across the country and legal action has been initiated. Please send us details of anyone posting this video on social media and we will proceed legally. We remain steadfast in our commitment to rid the public discourse of fake news," BJP's West Bengal unit posted on X.

--IANS

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