A First Information Report (FIR) has been lodged against two individuals for circulating a morphed image of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on a sanitary pad. The FIR was registered in Bengaluru and Hyderabad following complaints about a fake video that went viral on social media.
The controversy began after a video surfaced allegedly showing Rahul Gandhi's image prominently displayed on sanitary pad packets. These packets were purportedly being distributed under the Congress party's Priyadarshini Udaan Yojana in Bihar, an initiative aimed at raising menstrual hygiene awareness among women. The Congress party has vehemently denied the authenticity of the video, asserting that it is a fabricated attempt to malign Rahul Gandhi's image.
Priyanka Devi C M, a 25-year-old teacher, filed the complaint at High Grounds Police Station in Bengaluru. The FIR, numbered 0170/2025, invokes Sections 192, 336(4), and 353 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023. The complaint specifically names Ratan Ranjan, an 'X' (formerly Twitter) user from Vaishali, Bihar, as the primary accused. His post allegedly featured Rahul Gandhi's morphed image with a misleading caption: “Bahar cover tak to theek tha lekin aap ye andar kya kar rahe hain, ye to galat hai Rahul ji, ye dekho, ye aap andar kya kar rahe hain". The FIR also mentions Arun Yadav (@ArunKosli) and several others who reshared the video, including users @MrSinha, @AdvSunilSharma_, @Siddharth_00001, and @rishibagree.
Telangana Youth Congress President Jakkidi Shiva Charan Reddy also filed an FIR, alleging that the posts spread obscene and offensive content intending to harm women's dignity and defame Congress leaders. According to the FIR, the incident occurred on July 5 when Ratan Ranjan posted the morphed image of Rahul Gandhi on social media, allegedly placing his face on sanitary pads distributed during a women's awareness campaign organized by the Mahila Congress in Bihar.
The complainant in Bengaluru claimed that the fake video was not only defamatory towards Rahul Gandhi but also disrespectful towards the dignity of Indian women, particularly those from Bihar, as it allegedly showed Gandhi handling a sanitary pad in a derogatory context. The police have stated that the FIR was registered after legal consultation, and the matter is currently under investigation.
The Congress party has strongly condemned the circulation of the morphed image and the accompanying video. Supriya Shrinate, a Congress leader, confirmed the FIR and stated that action would be taken against others involved in creating and spreading the fake video. The party views the incident as a deliberate attempt to undermine its efforts to promote menstrual hygiene awareness and empower women.
The controversy has sparked political debate, with rival parties questioning the rationale behind using Rahul Gandhi's image on sanitary pads. Neeraj Kumar, a spokesperson for Nitish Kumar's party, criticized the move, calling it a shallow electoral gimmick. He argued that while the Chief Minister has been working to empower women, using Gandhi's face on sanitary pads was an arrogant display of power, especially given that women are a symbol of respect and honor. The BJP also attacked the Congress, calling it the party's "ideological bankruptcy".
The incident has raised concerns about the misuse of deepfake technology and the spread of misinformation on social media platforms. It also highlights the sensitivity surrounding menstrual health issues in India and the potential for political exploitation of such topics.
