Sadhvi Harsha Richhariya Files Complaint Over AI Defamation Threats

Sadhvi Harsha Richhariya has approached the Bhopal Cyber Crime office, reporting that fake AI-generated images and videos are being used for character assassination, and has called for strict action against those spreading such offensive content.

Sadhvi Harsha Richhariya Files Complaint Over AI Defamation Threats

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) [India], November 13 (ANI): Sadhvi Harsha Richhariya, who came into the spotlight during the Prayagraj Kumbh Mela, on Friday approached the Cyber Crime office in Bhopal and lodged a complaint over allegedly objectionable comments on her social media accounts, claiming that fake photographs and videos generated using artificial intelligence (AI) were being circulated to defame her.

Speaking to ANI, Richhariya said she had been noticing such comments for the past several months, alleging that women were often subjected to character assassination and personal attacks on social media. "For the past few months, I have been noticing that it has become very easy for people in society to say anything about a girl's character and make any kind of comments about her. Since AI came along, it has become very easy to create fake videos and photographs to defame someone," she said.

She said women often chose to ignore such remarks up to a point, but there came a time when appropriate action became necessary. "To a certain extent, as girls and women, we ignore such things, we turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to them. But after a point, we feel that appropriate action should be taken so that if our voice can reach somewhere, we can raise it for those girls who might be going through God knows how much," she said.

Richhariya said she had submitted an application to the authorities and had left the matter for the administration to investigate. "I have submitted an application to the administration. We leave the matter entirely to them, and whoever is responsible will come to light very soon. But one thing is certain: I have an open challenge for those who are behaving indecently on social media..," she said.

She further alleged that she had faced attacks since the day she attended the Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, claiming that several of those who had targeted her belonged to her own religious community. "Attacks against me started on the very day I came to the Kumbh. Since that day, if anyone has made the most allegations against me and attempted character assassination, it has been people from my own religion, even more than those from other religions. These are people whom we consider brothers, whom we regard like fathers, sisters and mothers. The people who have thrown the most mud at me are some from my own religion who call themselves Sanatanis," she said.