The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) has filed a police complaint over what it described as a deliberate attempt to malign its Kerala State president Syed Sadikali Shihab Thangal through false claims circulated on Facebook.

IUML national general secretary P.K. Kunhalikutty said that the allegations originated from a fake Facebook account. He urged the police to act swiftly.

Mr. Kunhalikutty warned that the party would pursue legal action against “any effort to tarnish” Mr. Thangal’s personal reputation. He also cautioned the public against falling for such misinformation.

The controversial post has since been taken down.

IUML digital media managers said the post, which featured a morphed image of Mr. Thangal, originated from abroad and was disseminated through an account created solely for this purpose.

They described the episode as “even more serious than the kafir screenshot controversy” that surfaced in Vadakara during the last Lok Sabha elections.