Himanta Sarma’s post comparing Assam highway to F1 track under fire over AI claims. He reacts

A social media post by Himanta Biswa Sarma praising road and highway infrastructure in Assam triggered controversy after some users claimed the video he shared was generated using artificial intelligence.

The 26-second clip, posted on Sarma’s X (formerly Twitter) account on Tuesday, showed aerial footage of traffic moving smoothly along a busy highway in Assam. The chief minister compared the scene to a Formula One racetrack.

Allegations of AI-generated video

Soon after the post, several social media users questioned the authenticity of the video, alleging it was created using AI. Some pointed out that the traffic in the clip appeared to move in a way that did not match normal driving patterns in India.

Users also posted images of damaged and pothole-ridden roads, with one sharing a newspaper report claiming Assam ranks among the states with the highest number of damaged highways.

Reetam Singh, a spokesperson for the Indian National Congress, alleged the video showed vehicles driving on the wrong side of the road. “BJP IT Cell, while generating fake AI videos, should remember that the penalty for driving the wrong way on a national highway is ₹5,000,” he said.

Sarma, ministers hit back

Responding to the criticism, Sarma reposted the video with the caption: “Artificial Intelligence ❌ Assam Infrastructure ✅”.

His cabinet colleagues also defended him and criticised opposition leaders. Pijush Hazarika, Assam’s water resources minister, said critics with the “negative IQ level of Rahul Gandhi and Gaurav Gogoi will obviously struggle to digest the pace at which Assam’s infrastructure is transforming.”

Hazarika also shared a video showing a crowded street during the ruling party’s Jana Ashirwad Yatra led by Sarma, claiming it was filmed on the same road and on the same day.

“But here’s a simple question: will they now call this video AI too? For their information, this clip is from the same road, on the same day, during our Jana Ashirwad Yatra,” he said.

Another minister, Bimal Borah, also posted a night-time video of the Silapathar–Jonai National Highway, writing: “For chamchas, even this is AI.”