Puri: Just days before the grand Rath Yatra, Puri Police cracked down on a wave of AI-generated images that falsely depicted the Jagannath Temple deities as "unwell."
A total of 97 visuals showing the idols with thermometers and wet cloth strips were removed from social media platforms on Friday after sparking outrage among devotees.
Puri Superintendent of Police Prateek Singh warned that such distorted portrayals of the sibling deities would not be tolerated. "We have facilitated the removal of a large number of disrespectful photos and videos. If this practice continues, strict legal action will follow," he said to newsmen.
The controversy comes during the traditional Anasara ritual, when the deities are kept in seclusion after Debasnana Purnima, symbolically resting before the Rath Yatra. Servitors and devotees condemned the visuals, saying they trivialised sacred traditions and deeply hurt devotees' sentiments.
Police confirmed that monitoring of online content will continue, with offenders facing legal consequences.