Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has approached the Delhi High Court seeking urgent action against AI-generated deepfake videos allegedly portraying him making politically sensitive remarks, including false claims of “praising Pakistan,” in what he described as a coordinated attempt to damage his reputation and influence public perception.

The petition alleges that unknown individuals have been using advanced artificial intelligence tools to clone Tharoor’s face, voice, vocabulary, and mannerisms to create highly realistic fabricated videos. According to the plea, these manipulated clips falsely depict him making statements he never uttered, thereby violating his personality rights, publicity rights, and right to privacy. Tharoor has argued that such content is not only defamatory but also potentially harmful to national interests.

The matter came before Justice Mini Pushkarna, who issued summons to social media platforms X and Meta Platforms, as well as the Government of India, in connection with the lawsuit. The court also indicated that it may consider passing an interim order in Tharoor’s favour, given the seriousness of the allegations and the repeated circulation of the content despite takedown requests.

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Representing Tharoor, senior advocate Amit Sibal told the court that multiple fake videos continue to appear online even after being flagged and removed earlier under grievance mechanisms. He argued that the content is damaging Tharoor’s reputation as a public representative and as chairperson of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs. He also noted that fact-checking reports by media organisations had already confirmed the videos were fake, yet public confusion persists.

The petition further stated that the deepfake campaign intensified during Tharoor’s active involvement in campaigning for the Kerala Assembly elections in early 2026. It claims the timing suggests a deliberate attempt to undermine his credibility, mislead voters, and interfere with the democratic process by portraying him as making statements that could be politically damaging. The plea warned that such manipulated content could also be exploited by hostile foreign actors to spread misinformation.

In response, counsel for Meta informed the court that some of the flagged content on Instagram had already been made inaccessible. The case adds to a growing number of legal disputes in India involving celebrities and public figures seeking protection against AI-driven impersonation. The Delhi High Court has previously granted interim relief in similar cases involving actors, athletes, and other public personalities, as concerns over deepfake misuse continue to rise.

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