MLC Rahmath Baig claims deepfake video after AIMIM ouster

AIMIM expelled MLC Mirza Rahmat Baig over a controversial alleged video. Baig claimed the clip was a deepfake created to defame him, while police and the party withheld details. The issue sparked social media debate, but Baig has yet to resign from the Legislative Council.

Hyderabad: The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) expelled its Member of Legislative Council (MLC), Mirza Rahmath Baig from the party with immediate effect amid controversy surrounding an alleged video involving him.

In a late-night statement on Friday, AIMIM Joint Secretary S.A. Hussain Anwar announced Baig’s expulsion and directed him to immediately submit his resignation as a member of the Telangana Legislative Council to the Chairman.

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The party, however, did not disclose details of the alleged video or specify the grounds for the action beyond referring to the controversy surrounding it. The development triggered considerable curiosity, with questions being raised about the nature and contents of the video.

The controversy comes against the backdrop of a complaint reportedly lodged by Baig with the cybercrime police.

In his complaint, Baig is understood to have alleged that certain individuals were blackmailing him and demanding a large sum of money while threatening to release a purported deepfake video involving him.

The police have not disclosed the contents of the alleged video or details of the complaint. Following the AIMIM’s announcement, the issue became the subject of intense discussion on social media, with several users attempting to identify and circulate purported material linked to the controversy.

On Saturday evening, a local YouTuber released a purported five-second video clip showing a man wearing a T-shirt and track pants and carrying a helmet while walking into a house. The clip abruptly ends and does not establish the identity of the person or the circumstances depicted. There was no independent confirmation of the authenticity or provenance of the clip.

In a related development, Baig did not submit his resignation to the Chairman of the Legislative Council on Saturday. After meeting party leaders, he reportedly remained incommunicado until late Saturday evening.

Meanwhile, a video recorded two days ago in Saudi Arabia, where Baig had travelled to perform Umrah, has surfaced in which the MLC gives his version of the controversy. Baig claimed the video was fake and AI-generated and alleged that it was intended to defame him.