BJP MP Raghav Chadha moves Delhi HC seeking protection of personality rights
New Delhi, May 20
BJP Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha has approached the Delhi High Court seeking protection of his personality and publicity rights against the alleged unauthorised use and misuse of his name, image, likeness, and identity across online and digital platforms, including through AI-generated and morphed content.
As per the cause list published on the official website of the Delhi High Court, the matter is scheduled to be heard on Thursday by a single-judge Bench of Justice Subramonium Prasad. Chadha has reportedly sought relief against several defendants, including unidentified persons impleaded as John Doe parties, alleging unauthorised commercial exploitation and misuse of his persona across digital platforms.
The plea also states that it seeks the removal of deepfake, AI-generated, and morphed content allegedly circulating online using his identity without authorisation.
The development comes amid a growing number of personality rights disputes before the Delhi High Court involving allegations of AI-generated impersonation, deepfakes, fake endorsements, and unauthorised commercial exploitation of public figures' identities.
The Raghav Chadha case adds to a growing list of high-profile personalities invoking their personality and publicity rights before the Delhi High Court.
In recent months, former cricketer and current head coach Gautam Gambhir, former cricket captain Sunil Gavaskar, spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, actors Arjun Kapoor, Allu Arjun, Nagarjuna, Kajol, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan, singer Jubin Nautiyal, filmmaker Karan Johar, podcaster Raj Shamani, and Congress MP Shashi Tharoor have secured or sought court protection against the unauthorised use of their identity, likeness, or AI-generated imitations.
Earlier this month, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor moved the Delhi High Court seeking protection of his personality and publicity rights in a suit seeking removal of alleged deepfake videos falsely depicting him as praising Pakistan.
Tharoor contended that multiple deepfake videos falsely attributed politically sensitive statements to him, posing a serious threat to his reputation and potentially impacting India's standing internationally.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Finally! Someone in politics who gets it. Deepfakes are a menace, especially when they distort what someone said. Remember how they twisted Tharoor's words? That could damage India's image abroad. Raghav is right to seek legal protection. Every public figure should do this. Hope the court sets a strong precedent.
The list of people doing this is getting longer by the day – from cricketers to spiritual leaders to actors. It shows how big the problem is. But I worry about the "John Doe" part – can you really stop anonymous misusers? Still, it's a necessary first step. Kudos to the court for taking this seriously.
As an American, I find this fascinating. In the US, celebrities and politicians have long fought for personality rights. It's good to see India's courts adapting to the digital age. But I wonder – will this only benefit the rich and famous? What about ordinary people whose faces are used in deepfakes? That's a gap that needs fixing.
This is a serious issue, no doubt. But let's be real – Raghav Chadha is a politician. He's not exactly a Bollywood star with a huge fan following misusing his image for endorsements. Feels like he's jumping on the bandwagon. The real concern should be about protecting citizens from being impersonated, not just VIPs.
(As a fan) This is long overdue. With AI getting so good, anyone can now fake a video of a politician saying something insane. This could be used
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.