Obscene video: Won't contest election till proven innocent, says Rawat

A day after an obscene video allegedly involving him surfaced on social media, BJP MP Upendra Singh Rawat who has been fielded again by the party from Barabanki on Monday said he will not contest any election till proven innocent.

He also demanded an investigation into the matter.

In a post on X in Hindi, Rawat said, "A fake video of mine generated by deepfake AI technology is being made viral, for which I have lodged an FIR."

He said he has requested the party president to get it investigated.

"I will not contest any election in public life until I am proven innocent," the first-time MP said.

An obscene video purportedly involving Rawat emerged on social media, police said on Sunday.

The video surfaced a day after the BJP fielded him as its candidate from the Barabanki Lok Sabha seat.

On the basis of a complaint by MP's personal secretary Dinesh Chandra Rawat, a case has been lodged against an unknown accused, Kotwali police station in-charge Aditya Tripathi had said.

It was alleged in the FIR that some people have made public a doctored objectionable video of the MP to tarnish his image after he was declared a BJP candidate.

Police sources said that in the video circulated online a man is seen in an objectionable position with a woman.

The MP on Sunday said that as soon as "I got the party's ticket from Barabanki, my opponents did this act", claiming that the video is completely doctored.

He hoped the accused will be identified soon.

In 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP had denied ticket to the then sitting MP Priyanka Singh Rawat and made Upendra Singh Rawat its candidate.