Bengaluru: Actor Threatens Legal Action Against Congress For Using His Photo In 'PayCM' Posters

Akhil Iyer, who describes himself as an actor and producer on Twitter, clarified on Twitter that he had no affiliations with the Congress's campaign. He also threatened legal action.

A Bengaluru-based actor, Akhil Iyer, has objected to the use of his photograph as part of Karnataka Congress's 'PayCM poster' campaign and threatened legal action against the party. According to Iyer, his photograph was used without his permission. Congress has now deleted the posts that included his images on the "40 per cent sarkara" page on Instagram.

Iyer, who describes himself as an actor and producer on Twitter, clarified on Twitter that he had no affiliations with the campaign. He also threatened legal action against those responsible.

Congress has put up 'PayCM posters' featuring Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai's image throughout Bengaluru as part of its campaign against the BJP. The "40% sarkara" posters are intended to highlight how the current BJP regime has allegedly made 40 per cent commission rate the norm. 

One of the posters featured Akhil Iyer's image and phrases such as "Are you still numb?" and "The gluttony of 40% sarkara has robbed over 54,000 youths of a career".

The actor took to Twitter to protest the "illegal" use of his image, saying, "I am appalled to see that my face is being used illegally and without my consent for "40% Sarkara," a Congress campaign that I have nothing to do with." I will be taking legal action against this."

Priyank Kharge, MLA and head of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee's communication cell, said the posts have been removed. "For such campaigns, we generally only use Shutterstock images. I'm not sure if the image was used by mistake," he said. "We have pulled down the post and are looking into the complaints," he told The Indian Express.

In a tweet attacking the Congress, BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa wrote, "Akhil Iyer is the face of New India, and that face does not align with Congress lies and false propaganda." "You can no longer force people to like your lies and support your hate campaign," he said, accusing Congress and Rahul Gandhi.

The 'PayCM' posters carries Bommai's picture in the middle of a QR code with the message "40% accepted here". Scanning the QR code on the posters takes the user to the 40 per cent 'sarkara' website launched by the Congress for bribery related complaints.

Recently, a contractors' body alleged that contractors had to pay 40 per cent commission to get public works contracts. The allegation was strongly denied by the Karnataka government.

Earlier this year, contractor Santhosh Patil, who accused former Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department minister KS Eshwarappa of corruption, committed suicide in an Udupi lodge. In a letter, the contractor claimed that the minister demanded a 40% bribe from contractors for each project and that he had spent more than Rs 15 lakh on bribes alone, reported Hindustan Times.