NEW DELHI
\nAnimated videos shared by Prime Minister Narendra Modi\u2019s party targeting opposition Congress and the Muslim community have evoked complaints and outrage, as the political climate in India heats up midway through its six-week long election.
\nThe videos, shared by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party on social media platforms Instagram and X over the last ten days, depict the Congress giving disproportionate benefits to India\u2019s minority Muslim community, at the cost of certain disadvantaged tribal and Hindu caste groups. The Congress, in a complaint to the poll watchdog Election Commission, said on Sunday that the video has been shared \u201cclearly with an intention to wantonly provocate rioting and promote enmity between different religions\u201d.
\nA set of guidelines mutually adopted by political parties for how they should conduct themselves during the election period prohibit them from creating \u201cmutual hatred\u201d between caste, religious or linguistic groups.
\nManipulated videos on social media have also become a contentious issue in this election, such as fake videos showing top Bollywood stars criticizing the prime minister.
\nOn Monday, the commission warned parties against the misuse of AI tools to create deep fakes and told them not to publish and circulate such videos. It also said parties had been directed to remove such content within three hours of it being brought to their notice.
\nModi, the face of the Hindu-nationalist BJP, seeking a rare third consecutive term, had focused his campaign largely on his government\u2019s performance on economic growth and welfare benefits.
\nBut he changed tack after the first phase of voting on April 19 and his campaign speeches have since become more polarising on religious lines, accusing Congress of planning to redistribute the wealth of the majority Hindus among minority Muslims, who he called \u201cinfiltrators\u201d who have \u201cmore children\u201d.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
NEW DELHI Animated videos shared by Prime Minister Narendra Modi\u2019s party targeting opposition Congress and the Muslim community have evoked complaints and outrage, as the political climate in India heats up midway through its six-week long election. The videos, shared by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party on social media platforms Instagram and X over the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":405484,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-405473","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n