‘Doctored clip’: BJP leader on TMC's ‘sting’ video on Sandeshkhali

Sandeshkhali violence

In a fresh row over the Sandeshkhali incident, BJP leader, Gangadhar Kayl, who allegedly features in a purported video released by Trinamool Congress, claimed that his facial features and voice were manipulated using AI technology to fabricate the video.

The video, released by Trinamool Congress on Saturday, purportedly shows the BJP leader admitting that no rapes or sexual harassment had taken place and women were convinced to file such complaints at the directions of senior party leader Suvendu Adhikari.

"I have come across a video... where it can be seen that the same has been made using my face and the voice has been modulated using Artificial Intelligence,"  Kayl stated, emphasizing that the intention was to mislead the public and disrupt ongoing investigations.

He also accused Trinamool's Abhishek Banerjee of orchestrating the conspiracy to protect the actual perpetrators of the Sandeshkhali incident.

Meanwhile, Suvendu Adhikari denied the allegations and called the video a “TMC conspiracy”.  The BJP also released a video of its own, in which the leader featured in the TMC clip alleged that his voice had been “tampered with”.

West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee also attacked the BJP. At a rally in Ranaghat in Nadia district, she said, “I knew Sandeshkhali was orchestrated by the BJP and today it has been exposed.”

Congress state president Adhir Chowdhury said, “Why are you (Mamata Banerjee) relying on a sting operation? Why didn’t you go to Sandeshkhali and talk to the people and women of Sandeshkhali? We will ask the court if this is true? Why did the court spontaneously take the case and order a CBI inquiry?”

Sandeshkhali in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district saw widespread protests in February as residents accused TMC strongman Shahjahan Sheikh and his aides of land grab and sexually harassing local women.

Sheikh, who was on the run for 55 days after his supporters attacked an Enforcement Directorate (ED) out to search his Sandeshkhali home in connection with a ration scam, was arrested on February 29.