BJP MP Upendra Singh Rawat withdraws from Lok Sabha elections amid Deepfake video controversy

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Parliament, Upendra Singh Rawat, has opted out of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections amidst a scandal surrounding a viral obscene video. Rawat, who was named as BJP's Lok Sabha candidate from Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh, made the announcement on Monday, citing the video as "fake" and generated through DeepFake AI technology.

Addressing the controversy in a social media post, Rawat asserted, "An edited video of mine is being made viral which is generated by DeepFake AI technology, for which I have lodged an FIR." He further added, "I will not contest any election in public life until I am proven innocent," expressing his intent to abstain from electoral politics until the matter is resolved.

The video in question surfaced shortly after Rawat's candidacy announcement, depicting a man in an objectionable position with a woman. Promptly following the emergence of the video, an FIR was lodged by MP's personal secretary, Dinesh Chandra Rawat, against an unknown accused. The complaint alleges that the video was manipulated to tarnish the reputation of the MP following his nomination.

Rawat vehemently refuted the allegations, attributing the video to political adversaries seeking to undermine his candidacy. "As soon as I got the party's ticket from Barabanki, my opponents did this act," Rawat stated, emphasizing that the video is entirely doctored.

This development follows closely on the heels of another BJP candidate, Pawan Singh, withdrawing his candidacy from the Asansol seat in West Bengal. Singh, a Bhojpuri singer-actor, stepped down amidst allegations of his songs depicting women in a vulgar manner.

Taking to social media platform X, Singh expressed gratitude towards the BJP leadership for his candidature while citing "personal reasons" for his withdrawal from the electoral race. His decision garnered attention from political figures, with TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee praising the resilience of the people of West Bengal.