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EC letter, BJP seal and AI video: Kerala poll row continues to snowball

The cyber wing of the Kerala Police said the content, posted on X, could ‘adversely impact the conduct of free and fair elections’

2 min readUpdated: Mar 26, 2026 01:19 PM IST

Kerala Police have registered an FIR over an AI-generated video showing PM Modi and the Chief Election Commissioner. (File Photo)

The cyber wing of the Kerala Police on Thursday registered a case after an AI-generated video depicting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar was posted on the social media platform X under the handle of one Laxmi N Raju.

With Kerala going to the polls on April 9, police alleged that the post was misleading and had the potential to “adversely impact the conduct of free and fair elections”.

The video pertains to the controversy over the now-retracted ECI letter, which bore the seal of the Kerala BJP and was forwarded to all political parties in the state earlier this month. The ECI had clarified that it was a clerical mistake. An officer was placed under suspension in this regard.

The retracted letter was widely circulated on social media platforms, forcing the ECI to approach the cyber police, which served notices to social media platforms Facebook, Instagram, and X, asking them to remove the letter from their platforms.

In the video posted by Laxmi N Raju, AI-generated images of PM Modi and the Chief Election Commissioner are shown interacting with each other to allege that the BJP and the ECI were working together.

Referring to the case registered under the IT Act, the cyber police said, “The material has the potential to mislead the public, undermine the credibility of constitutional bodies, and adversely impact the conduct of free and fair elections. In accordance with the Model Code of Conduct and applicable legal provisions, the cyber wing of the Kerala Police initiated immediate measures to prevent further circulation of the content. Necessary legal notices were issued to the intermediary platform under relevant provisions of the Information Technology Act and Rules, seeking expeditious removal of the unlawful content,” it said.

Shaju Philip

Shaju Philip is a Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, where he leads the publication's coverage from Kerala. With over 25 years of experience in mainstream journalism, he is one of the most authoritative voices on the socio-political, religious, and developmental landscape of South India. Expertise, Experience, and Authority Decades of Regional Specialization: Shaju has spent more than two decades documenting the "Kerala Model" of development, its complex communal dynamics, and its high-stakes political environment. Key Coverage Beats: His extensive reporting portfolio includes: Political & Governance Analysis: In-depth tracking of the LDF and UDF coalitions, the growth of the BJP in the state, and the intricate workings of the Kerala administration. Crime & Investigative Journalism: Noted for his coverage of high-profile cases such as the gold smuggling probe, political killings, and the state’s counter-terrorism efforts regarding radicalization modules. Crisis Management: He has led ground-level reporting during major regional crises, including the devastating 2018 floods, the Nipah virus outbreaks, and the Covid-19 pandemic response. ... Read More

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