AI pictures of Yuvraj and Hardik viral, controversy over the glory of Harmandir Sahib

A new case of desecration has come to light at the Harmandir Sahib in Amritsar, in which videos and photos have been created using Artificial Intelligence (AI).

A Facebook page shared photos of cricketers and Bollywood stars, showing them bareheaded inside the Golden Temple, while Sikhism requires head coverings for those visiting the temple.

According to reports, a photo shows cricketer Yuvraj Singh bare-headed. Others, including Arshdeep Singh, Abhishek Sharma and his mother, have their heads covered. Another photo shows Hardik Pandya bare-headed, while Virat Kohli, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Bollywood star Ranveer Singh have their heads covered. In both the photos, the view of Harmandir Sahib is clearly visible.

This Facebook page called Crik Entertainment has around 2.38 lakh followers. Although the photos were posted saying they were AI-generated images, many believe the image was deliberately defaced by covering only a cricketer’s head. Many users on social media criticized the creators of the photos, but despite this, they were not removed.

A few days ago, an AI video showed a skeleton in the Langar Hall and circumambulating the Harmandir Sahib, while a person was shown circumambulating in a jeep. The Shiromani Committee had strongly objected to it even at that time.

On this matter, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) lawyer Amanbir Singh Siyali said that the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) is sending complaints to the concerned authorities about these photos and videos which are continuously going viral. He said that the central and state governments should make strict laws for such cases so that strict action can be taken against such culprits and anyone should think twice before committing such acts of desecration in future.