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Manikarnika Ghat: Uttar Pradesh government’s attack on those making fake AI videos of ‘bulldozer action’

By Samira Vishwas

A big controversy has arisen after rumors spread on social media regarding Manikarnika Ghat in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. Pictures and videos circulated purportedly of ‘bulldozer action’ at the ghat have been found to be fake and AI-generated. In this case, Varanasi Police on Saturday (January 17) has registered a case against eight people under various sections of the Indian Justice Code (BNS).

Manikarnika Ghat is counted among the most sacred cremation grounds of Hindu religion. The news of alleged vandalism here went viral rapidly on social media. After these posts surfaced, an atmosphere of confusion and anxiety was created among the local people and devotees. Later, the Uttar Pradesh government and police administration clarified that the scenes going viral are completely fake and have been created with the help of artificial intelligence.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, while reacting to this entire episode during a press conference in Varanasi, said that misleading and fabricated material was deliberately spread on social media. He called it a conspiracy to tarnish the image of Kashi and disrupt development works. The Chief Minister also alleged that an attempt was made by elements associated with the Congress party to spread confusion about the ongoing development work in the Dalmandi area by using AI-generated videos.

According to police and government sources, false photographs and videos regarding beautification and development works of Manikarnika Ghat were circulated on X (formerly Twitter). Some of these posts were shared by X handle @daksinapathpati (Ashutosh Potnis) around 10.02 pm on January 16. These posts also included morphed images of Hindu deities, which were said to be circulated with the aim of hurting religious sentiments and disturbing social harmony. After the action, the concerned X account was deactivated.

Officials say that through these posts, an attempt was made to portray the legitimate development work going on at Manikarnika Ghat as an attack on religious traditions. In some cases, attempts were also made to compare the Indian government with Mughal ruler Aurangzeb, which spread more anger and confusion among the people.

In this case, Chowk police station has registered an FIR against eight persons and their associated ex-handlers. These cases have been registered under sections 196, 298, 299 and 353 of the BNS, which relate to spreading false information, hurting religious sentiments, creating social unrest and misleading the public. Police said that till now a total of eight separate cases have been registered in this matter.

The complaint in the matter was given by an official of GVS Engineers Consultant Company, which is doing the development and installation work at Manikarnika Ghat. The complaint said that the company has been working on the ghat since November 15, 2025 and the false information being spread on social media is damaging its reputation, as well as creating unnecessary tension among the local people and devotees.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that since 2014, the importance of Kashi Vishwanath Dham has increased significantly and the number of devotees has also increased significantly. He reiterated that Kashi is being developed without any compromise with its heritage and religious traditions.

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