A controversy has erupted between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Indian National Congress after the Bihar Congress posted an AI-generated video on social media platform X, which depicts a caricature of Prime Minister Narendra Modi being rebuked by a figure resembling his late mother, Heeraben Modi. The BJP has strongly condemned the video, accusing the Congress of resorting to cheap political tactics and disrespecting women.

The AI-generated video, which is 36-seconds long and marked "AI GENERATED," has gone viral. It shows a caricatured version of PM Modi going to bed after boasting about "vote theft". In his dream, a woman resembling his late mother appears and sternly rebukes him for invoking her name in politics. The scene ends with the Modi-like figure waking up in shock. The video is captioned "Maa appears in Saheb's dreams. Watch this interesting conversation". Heeraben Modi passed away in December 2022 at the age of 99.

The BJP has reacted sharply to the video. BJP leaders have accused the Congress of lowering the political discourse and resorting to "cheap tactics" after failing to connect with the public. BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said that the Congress had "crossed all limits" by targeting someone no longer alive, adding that the party had become "Gaaliwadi, not Gandhiwadi". He said the Congress is not shying away from shamelessness or petty conduct and is insulting the PM, his mother, and the women of the country. Rajasthan BJP President Madan Rathore also criticized the Congress, stating that those who get frustrated in politics resort to "cheap tactics". He added that the video was "highly condemnable" and that society would condemn such acts and teach the Congress a lesson. The BJP has also alleged that the video was orchestrated under the direction of Rahul Gandhi. The BJP has demanded an apology and action against those responsible for posting the video, describing it as a calculated insult aimed at hurting sentiments ahead of the upcoming Bihar elections.

The Congress party has defended the video. Congress leader Pawan Khera challenged critics to show where the video displayed any disrespect. He stated that in the video, the mother is only educating her child, and if the child thinks that it is disrespectful towards him, it is his headache, not theirs. Khera also accused the BJP of trying to generate sympathy for the PM, saying Modi cannot play "touch-me-not" politics and must take the opposition's sense of humor in stride. He later corrected himself and said that the video does not depict humor but 'naseehat' (advice).

The controversy comes in the midst of an already heated political climate in Bihar, as the state prepares for assembly elections. This is not the first time that the issue of alleged insults to PM Modi's mother has surfaced. Last month, the Congress came under fire after alleged abuses were hurled at PM Modi and his mother during a rally in Bihar's Darbhanga. PM Modi responded sharply to that incident, saying it was "unimaginable" and "an insult to all mothers, sisters and daughters of the country".