An FIR has been filed against a person for sharing a deepfake video of Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on GST, state minister Harsh Sanghavi said on Tuesday.
According to police, the video clip was shared by one Chirag Patel on his X handle.
The X post shows Sitharaman purportedly giving a byte to the media and terming Goods and Services Tax (GST) as the Gopaniya Suchna Tax.
His X (formerly Twitter) profile shows Patel is based in the USA.
Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi said the "deceptive act of spreading deep fake videos to mislead citizens is abhorrent".
"This deceptive act of spreading deep fake videos to mislead citizens is abhorrent. Gujarat police have registered an FIR against this person for spreading this deep fake video. Trying to mislead citizens Let's not fall prey to such manipulative tactics and prfioritize truth and accountability in our digital spaces. Together, we can combat misinformation and safeguard the trust of the public. #TrustInTruth #StopMisleadingCitizens," read his X post.
Meanwhile, Sitharaman is scheduled to present the Budget for 2024-25 in the Lok Sabha on July 23.
Also read: Supreme Court overrules West Bengal's cancellation of underpass maintenance contract
