New Delhi: Pradeep Dixit, the chairman of Sikandrabad Nagar Palika and a leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party, has come under controversy after allegedly announcing a reward of Rs 1 crore for beheading Saayoni Ghosh over an old social media post related to a Shivling.
According to reports citing a viral video, Dixit was allegedly heard saying that he worshipped Lord Shiva daily and felt deeply hurt by Ghosh’s actions. He declared that anyone who brought Ghosh’s severed head would receive a reward of Rs 1 crore, Free Press Journal reported.
However, Dixit later denied making such a statement and claimed that the viral video had been manipulated using artificial intelligence technology with the intention of defaming him.
The controversy relates to a social media post originally shared in 2015 that resurfaced in 2021 and again during the recent elections in West Bengal.
An FIR had earlier been registered against Ghosh over the post. The All India Trinamool Congress leader had previously stated that her social media account had been hacked in 2015 and claimed that the image had been uploaded by the hacker. She also maintained that the post was deleted immediately after she regained control of the account.