Union Minister Kiren Rijiju alleged that the Congress used a fake AI-generated photo to misrepresent crowd sizes at the recent INDIA bloc rally in Delhi, a claim countered by the BJP regarding the actual turnout at the Ramlila Maidan.
Rijiju Targets Congress Over AI Imagery
Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju took a swipe at the Congress, alleging that it used an AI-generated photograph to show a packed Ramlila Maidan during a rally held on November 1. In a post on X on Sunday, Rijiju wrote in Hindi that the Congress should have at least prepared the AI image properly to show a huge crowd at the Ramlila Maidan. He added in English, “Even the fake AI photo to show that the Ramlila ground was full was not done properly by the fake narrative team of the Congress Party!” रामलीला मैदान में भारी भीड़ दिखाने के लिए, कांग्रेस पार्टी को कम से कम AI से बनी तस्वीर तो ठीक से तैयार करनी चाहिए थी। Even the fake AI photo to show that Ramlila ground was full is not done properly by the fake narrative team of Congress Party! https://t.co/uBAf9NIPau — Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) November 1, 2026
Details of the INDIA Bloc Rally
The INDIA bloc on Sunday held a mega rally at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan against alleged irregularities in electoral rolls and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, with top Opposition leaders, including Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Congress president Mallikanjun Kharge, former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, attending the event. The march started from the Minto Road-Connaught Place junction towards Ramlila Maidan, where thousands of supporters converged.
Rahul Gandhi Criticizes Election Commission
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accused Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar of facilitating alleged vote theft and said he would be removed from his post and jailed. Addressing the rally, Rahul Gandhi said the protest represented the voice of the country and was not associated with any particular political party or leader. He accused the CEC of attempting to silence the voice of the nation and asserted that the Opposition would continue its fight to protect the Constitution through peaceful and democratic means. He claimed that action would be taken against the CEC and alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah would not have reached their respective positions without him.
BJP Counters Opposition Claims
This event drew sharp counters from the BJP, with party MP Sambit Patra questioning the INDIA bloc’s claim that 10 lakh people would attend the rally, alleging that a significant portion of Ramlila Maidan remained vacant. Patra claimed that around 5,000 to 7,000 chairs out of the 28,000 at the venue were vacant between 3.30 pm and 4 pm. He also alleged that 40 per cent of the ground was empty. “You can see in the background that 40 per cent of the Ramlila Maidan, 40% of the space, was vacant. Rahul Gandhi and his team claimed that 10 lakh people would attend. Out of 28,000 chairs, around 5,000–7,000 were empty at 3:30–4 PM. This is the reality behind Congress’s claim of 10 lakh attendees,” he said.
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