George Floyd-style image: Punjab Police issues clarification after backlash over social media post; suspects cyber breach
NEW DELHI: The Punjab Police has issued a clarification after facing backlash over a controversial post that appeared on its official X handle on Thursday night.
The now-deleted post showed an AI-generated graphic image of a light-skinned police officer with the Indian flag over his face pinning down a dark-skinned man marked with a Pakistani flag.
The image strongly resembled the 2020 police killing of George Floyd in the United States.
The caption read, 'If you are caught with this flag, be prepared to suffer the consequences.' Screenshots of the post were widely shared before it was taken down, with users calling it provocative and deeply insensitive.
In a statement shared on Saturday, Punjab Police said: 'It has come to our attention that a contentious post was briefly visible on the official Punjab Police X handle and has since been deleted.
Preliminary findings indicate that the imagery used in the post was AI-generated.'
— PunjabPoliceInd (@PunjabPoliceInd)
The police further added that their technical teams are looking into whether the post was the result of unauthorised access or a possible cybersecurity breach. 'We urge the public not to circulate unverified content and to rely only on information shared through our verified official handles,' the statement said.
Punjab Police also clarified that it does not support or stand by such content in any form. 'Your trust and safety remain our highest priority,' it said.
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