Puttur (Dakshina Kannada): A political controversy has erupted in Puttur after local leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) demanded the arrest of Amala Ramachandra, Chairman of the Puttur Urban Development Authority (PUDA), for allegedly making derogatory social media posts targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In a formal complaint submitted to the town police station, former MLA Sanjeev Matandoor and a delegation of BJP leaders accused Ramachandra of repeatedly insulting the Prime Minister through caricatures and captions that, they claim, undermine the dignity of the office.

Among the posts cited by the complainants is a graphic shared on May 13 which refers to Modi as “Visha Guru” (poisonous leader), in contrast to the popular reference “Vishwa Guru” (world leader), accompanied by a caption labelling him a “deadly poison to national brotherhood and sovereignty.” Another post allegedly shows the Prime Minister in a compromising cartoon image involving the US President, referencing the Adani business group and ceasefire diplomacy.

The BJP leaders contended that such posts amount to deliberate misinformation and are likely to provoke unrest. “We have urged the police to take immediate and stringent action,” said Matandoor.

Responding to the complaint, Dakshina Kannada Superintendent of Police N. Yathish confirmed that a petition had been received. “The matter is under review. Appropriate action will follow based on the findings,” he said.

In a separate development, a group of journalists from the district is also expected to submit a complaint against Ramachandra over another post allegedly equating journalists to dogs.

The controversy has added to the political tensions in the region ahead of key civic developments and ongoing state-level debates over political rhetoric online.