Nation

IIE DIGITAL DESK ; New Delhi, November 2: The political controversy between the Congress and the BJP over the actual number of people who attended the opposition rally at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan continues to intensify. Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju has now added a fresh twist to the dispute by alleging that the Congress used Artificial Intelligence (AI) to create misleading images showing a massive gathering at the venue. Taking a sarcastic swipe at the opposition party, Rijiju claimed that even while attempting to create an exaggerated picture of the crowd, the Congress's so-called narrative team had made mistakes in the process.

The controversy erupted following a major rally organised by the opposition INDIA bloc at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi on Sunday, November 1. The meeting was organised to demand the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and protest alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Opposition leaders accused the Election Commission of allowing the deletion of names of a large number of eligible voters from electoral rolls, claiming that the exercise could undermine the fairness of the electoral process. They described the alleged manipulation as an attempt at 'vote theft' and launched a strong political attack against the BJP-led central government and the Election Commission.

Several prominent opposition leaders attended the gathering, including Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav. The rally was projected as an important demonstration of opposition unity against the alleged irregularities in the electoral system. Ahead of the event, opposition leaders had claimed that approximately 10 lakh people from different parts of the country would participate in the gathering. However, the scale of the actual turnout soon became a subject of political confrontation between the BJP and the Congress.

On Sunday, Kiren Rijiju shared an image on the social media platform X showing what appeared to be a massive crowd gathered at Ramlila Maidan. He alleged that the image had been generated using AI by the Congress to exaggerate the size of the gathering. In a sarcastic remark directed at the opposition party, Rijiju wrote, "Congress should have at least used AI properly to create the picture showing Ramlila Maidan packed with people." His comment suggested that the Congress's publicity and narrative team had failed to produce a convincing image even while allegedly attempting to present an exaggerated picture of the crowd.

Rijiju's remarks quickly became another point of political debate, with the BJP questioning the credibility of the Congress's claims regarding the number of people who attended the rally. The Union Minister's allegation has added a technological dimension to an already heated political dispute, with the authenticity of images circulated following the rally now becoming part of the controversy.

Rijiju was not the only BJP leader to question the turnout at the opposition gathering. BJP MP Sambit Patra also challenged the INDIA bloc's claim of a massive public response. According to Patra, approximately 28,000 chairs had been arranged at the venue for the meeting. However, he claimed that between 5,000 and 7,000 chairs remained vacant between 3.30 pm and 4 pm. He further alleged that nearly 40 per cent of the Ramlila Maidan was unoccupied during the gathering.

Taking a swipe at the opposition, Patra argued that the visual evidence from the venue did not support the INDIA bloc's claim that nearly 10 lakh people had participated in the rally. The BJP leaders maintained that the opposition had exaggerated the scale of the gathering to create a political impression of a massive public movement against the central government and the Election Commission.

The Congress and other INDIA bloc parties, however, have presented the rally as a significant show of opposition strength and unity. The gathering brought together several prominent political figures from different opposition parties on a common platform. Their speeches primarily focused on the functioning of the Election Commission, the SIR exercise and allegations of irregularities in the preparation and revision of electoral rolls.

Opposition leaders argued that the issue of voter rights should not be treated merely as a political disagreement between parties. They maintained that the integrity of electoral rolls is fundamental to a democratic system and that every eligible citizen must be allowed to exercise their constitutional right to vote. Their criticism was directed at the Election Commission and the BJP-led central government, with demands for accountability and greater transparency in the electoral process.

The BJP, on the other hand, has focused on questioning the opposition's claims about the scale of public participation and the credibility of the images circulated after the rally. The allegations made by Rijiju and Sambit Patra have provided fresh ammunition to the ruling party in its political confrontation with the Congress.

The Ramlila Maidan rally has become the centre of two parallel political debates. While the INDIA bloc is attempting to highlight alleged irregularities in the electoral process and present a united opposition front, the BJP is questioning the actual turnout and accusing the Congress of using misleading visual narratives to amplify the event's impact.

The exact number of people who attended the rally remains disputed, with both political camps presenting sharply contrasting claims. Rijiju's allegation regarding the alleged use of AI-generated images has further intensified the controversy. The episode has once again highlighted how social media, digital images and political messaging have become important tools in the ongoing battle between India's ruling party and the opposition.

With both sides continuing their political attacks, the Ramlila Maidan gathering has extended beyond the issue of voter list revision to become a wider debate over political credibility, public mobilisation and the use of digital technology in political campaigns.