Instances of manipulated pictures of Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan are emerging in various districts of Andhra Pradesh, with police action being taken. Based on complaints from Jana Sena Party (JSP) leaders and workers, law and order officials have registered cases. Reports say that morphed images of Pawan Kalyan are said to have been posted with objectionable matter on social media, with cases being registered in Tirupati, Chittoor, Nellore, Bapatla, Vijayawada, and Narasaraopet. JSP members are calling for stringent action against the culprits, while officials are actively pursuing the source of these doctored images.
The row picked up steam after Pawan Kalyan’s recent trip to the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, where he was joined by his wife Anna Lezhneva, son Akira Nandan, and director Trivikram Srinivas. As photos and videos of his hajj went viral, some people reportedly manipulated his pictures to circulate misinformation and engage in body shaming. The action has drawn anger from JSP followers, who have been making police complaints against them. Officials are now attempting to track down the accounts behind these manipulated pictures and prosecute them.
Yet the problem took a turn for worse with doctored pictures from his pilgrimage on the internet. With tensions increasing, JSP workers are demanding the authorities punish people who share derogatory information harshly. Meanwhile, police in Andhra Pradesh have made extra efforts to shut down misinformation social media messages and prevent its circulation.