Hooghly, 17 April (H.S.): A political controversy has erupted in West Bengal’s Saptagram Assembly constituency after a picture of BJP candidate Swaraj Ghosh holding a pistol went viral on social media.

In the image, Ghosh is seen sitting on a chair with a pistol in his hand, with the words “Mati Mafia” written above it. The image has triggered sharp reactions across political circles.

Reacting to the controversy, Swaraj Ghosh on Friday alleged that the image was created using artificial intelligence (AI) to defame him. He accused the ruling Trinamool Congress and its associated political consultancy firm Indian Political Action Committee of being behind the alleged conspiracy. He stated that he would file a written complaint at Mogra Police Station.

Ghosh said that people cannot be misled in such a manner and claimed that the weapon shown in the image is legally licensed and issued by the state government.

Meanwhile, CPI(M) candidate and lawyer Anirban Sarkar said it is unclear whether the image is real or AI-generated. He added that circulating such images on social media is not appropriate from a social or legal standpoint and could fall under cybercrime.

He further stated that if the image has indeed been artificially created, the concerned individual should seek legal recourse. He also referred to criminal cases mentioned in the candidate’s election affidavit, noting that the veracity of such matters would ultimately be determined by the court.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey