Siliguri, March 26 -- The Siliguri Metropolitan police have started a probe based on the complaint by the West Bengal Trinamool Secondary Teachers Association (WBTSTA) regarding an offensive video generated using Artificial Intelligence featuring West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and former Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Chamling. A controversy erupted in the political circles of Bengal and Sikkim after the manipulated video started going viral. The incident has led to strong reactions, with members of WBTSTA lodging a written complaint at the Cyber Crime Police Station in Siliguri against the person whose social media profile the video went viral from.
Rakesh Singh, the Deputy Commissioner of Police (East Zone) said: "We are thoroughly examining the social media profile from which the video was shared. If the accused is found to be in Sikkim, a police team will be dispatched to take necessary action," he said. The incident has triggered widespread condemnation on social media, with many political leaders and activists demanding stronger measures to prevent the misuse of AI technology for creating such offensive content.
The incident came to light on Tuesday when the members of the association noticed a video where the picture of Chamling meeting Mamata Banerjee at Nabanna, the state secretariat, was altered and converted into an objectionable video. The video was posted from a Facebook page named Sikkim Justice Vishal M. The video quickly spread across various platforms, sparking outrage among the supporters of both leaders.
The teachers expressed their anger, condemning the disrespectful act towards two prominent political figures, and demanded swift legal action against the accused.
Suprakash Roy, on behalf of the association, voiced his concern, stating: "Both Mamata Banerjee and Pawan Chamling are revered leaders. Such acts of disrespect will never be tolerated. We demand strict punishment for the culprit."
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.