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AII-1001-95313
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YouTuber Dhruv Rathee Removes AI-Generated Sikh History Video After Religious Objections

YouTuber Dhruv Rathee published a video with AI-generated images of Sikh gurus that was criticized by religious organizations and government officials for being factually inaccurate and disrespectful to Sikh beliefs. The video was reportedly removed after complaints from the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee and condemnation by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee.

19 May 2025 Β· Dhruv Rathee Β· Misinformation and synthetic media
19 May 2025
AII-1001-95313

What happened

YouTuber Dhruv Rathee published a video titled 'The Sikh Warrior Who Terrified the Mughals' that featured artificial intelligence-generated images of Guru Gobind Singh and his four sons known as 'Sahibzadas'.

The video depicted Guru Gobind Singh crying as a child and contained what critics described as factually flawed content about the martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji and the legacy of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur Ji.

Reported impact

The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) condemned the video, stating that Sikh gurus should not be represented in human form or in films, and called for its immediate removal.

Delhi Cabinet Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa criticized the video as 'disrespectful' and 'an attempt at distorting the legacy of Sikh gurus and martyrs', describing the depiction of Guru Gobind Singh crying as an insult to Sikhism.

Index analysis

The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) filed a complaint with the Cyber Crime Cell, stating that AI-generated visuals of Sikh gurus violate Sikh religious principles and constitute 'a grave violation of Sikh religious principles and demonstrate a blatant disregard for our spiritual values'.

Classification

Category
Misinformation and synthetic media
Industry
Media, social platforms and marketing
Country
India
Harm status
Actual harm
Intent
Unintentional
Timing
Post-deployment
Harm types
Human or fundamental rights, Reputational
Failure modes
Deepfake image, Hallucination
Consequences
Content removal
AI systems
The Sikh Warrior Who Terrified the Mughals

Sources and evidence

Sources not yet published

This record was researched and written by the Index from original reporting. Its sources are still being verified by an editor, and they are listed here once that check is complete. Until then the record carries no reviewer.

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