On Sunday famous YouTuber Dhru Rathee uploaded an AI video titled “The Sikh Warrior Who Terrified the Mughals”. This video ran for 24 minutes and 37 seconds. On Monday, Rathee took down his AI-generated video depicting Sikh gurus in the face of opposition from viewers.
He felt the animated depiction of Sikh Gurus conflicted with their beliefs.
He did this because the SGPC and the Shiromani Akali Dal has registered string protest against depicting the religious figures in human form or in films.
In a post on Instagram, Rathee said that even though many people had appreciated the video and “would like it to stay on the (YouTube) channel, I have decided to remove it because some viewers feel strongly that any animated depiction of the Sikh Gurus conflicts with their beliefs.”
“I do not want this to become a political or religious controversy, because the video was simply an effort to showcase the stories of our Indian heroes in a new educational format,” he said.
SGPC and Shiromani AKali Dal had demanded to take immediated action to takedown of the video which features artificial intelligence generated images of Guru Gobind Singh and his fous sons know as “Sahibzadas”
They had also sought the possible strictest action by the government in the matter. “Such portrayals violate Sikh principles and traditions. In Sikhi, the gurus, Sahibzadas, and their families cannot be represented in human form or in films. Therefore, this YouTuber has acted against the tenets of Sikhism,” said SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami. SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal said, “Such portrayals violate Sikh ‘rehat maryada’ which prohibits visual representations of Guru Sahiban. It has deeply hurt the sentiments of the community.”
He also alleged that the misleading narrative in Rathee’s video titled “The Sikh Warrior Who Terrified the Mughals” and the lack of respectful language had further aggravated the issue. In a post on X, Badal urged all content creators to exercise utmost caution and sensitivity while dealing with Guru Sahiban or Sikh history.
“Respect for religious traditions and accurate historical representation are non-negotiable. I request the immediate removal of the offending content and call for responsible storytelling that honors the sacred legacy of Sikhism,” he had said.