Saayoni Ghosh on 2015 Shivling post: 'I apologised in 2021, account was hacked'
Synopsis
TMC MP Saayoni Ghosh says a 2015 post depicting a condom on a Shivling was not hers — she claims her account was hacked, that she apologised publicly in 2021, and that the BJP is now using the row to silence her. Her most explosive allegation: a public ₹1 crore bounty call to behead her, which she attributes to BJP workers.
Key Takeaways
Saayoni Ghosh , TMC MP and actor, denied creating or posting the controversial 2015 social media image depicting a condom on a Shivling.
She claims her X account was hacked and that she regained control in 2017 , deleting the post once it was flagged.
Ghosh says she issued a public apology in 2021 when the post first resurfaced and drew outrage.
She alleges BJP workers and leaders have publicly offered ₹1 crore to anyone who beheads her.
Ghosh frames the renewed controversy as a political move to suppress her role as an Opposition voice inside and outside Parliament.
Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP and actor Saayoni Ghosh on Wednesday, 20 May broke her silence over the renewed controversy surrounding a 2015 social media post that depicted a condom being placed on a Shivling, saying she had publicly apologised for the post in 2021 and maintained that her X account had been hacked at the time of the original upload.
What Ghosh Said About the Post
Ghosh categorically denied creating or uploading the post. 'It was not done by me, and I have always maintained that. I publicly apologised back in 2021. No one wants to hurt anyone's religious sentiments. I am myself a Hindu. It was a 2015 social media post, I was 22-years-old then, and social media platform X was new for me,' she said.
She added that the cartoon at the centre of the controversy was not of her making either. 'I did not post it, and I did not even create the cartoon. So, if anyone needs to be investigated, it should be the person who made the cartoon. When this issue was brought to my attention in 2021, seven years later, I immediately ensured that the social media post was removed. I also apologised publicly,' Ghosh said.
In a formal statement released earlier, she had noted that she regained control of her account in 2017 and deleted the content as soon as it was flagged to her. The post had triggered police complaints and widespread public outrage.
Allegations of Death Threats and Political Targeting
Beyond the content controversy, Ghosh levelled serious allegations against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), claiming its leaders and workers had openly issued death threats against her. She alleged that a public call had been made offering a reward of ₹1 crore to anyone who beheads her.
'People are openly saying that whoever beheads Saayoni Ghosh will be rewarded with one crore rupees. BJP workers and their leaders are saying this publicly. And on the other hand, the BJP talks about the Women's Reservation Act and women's empowerment. Do these two things go together? No, they do not,' she alleged.
The BJP has not publicly responded to these specific allegations at the time of reporting.
Ghosh Frames Row as Political Suppression
The TMC MP argued that the controversy was being weaponised to silence her as an Opposition voice. 'Probably because I think that I have always been a voice of dissent, both inside and outside Parliament. And from my limited political experience, I feel that the BJP does not like the voice of dissent. It does not like the idea of Opposition in a country,' she said.
She also drew attention to what she described as a pattern of targeting women who speak out. 'They do not like the idea of women raising their voice, which has always been the culture in Bengal,' Ghosh added.
Accountability and Democratic Norms
Ghosh did not entirely deflect accountability, but framed it conditionally. 'If I have hurt anyone's religious sentiments, then I should be held accountable. But all this is happening because you have no real issue against me. I am in the Opposition, and the aim is to suppress and intimidate me so that important issues are not discussed and questions cannot be raised inside the House. This is not how democracy works,' she said.
This is not the first time the decade-old post has resurfaced — it previously drew controversy in 2021, prompting her initial apology. Its recurrence ahead of a politically charged period underscores how old social media content continues to shape the careers of actor-turned-politicians in India. The controversy is likely to persist as political and public scrutiny around Ghosh intensifies.
Point of View
And neither has the alleged ₹1 crore bounty — both deserve scrutiny that goes beyond partisan point-scoring. What the episode does confirm is the increasingly weaponised nature of old social media content in Indian politics, where the digital past is an inexhaustible opposition research tool. The BJP's silence on the death-threat allegations, if sustained, will itself become part of the story.
NationPress
6 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the controversy surrounding Saayoni Ghosh's 2015 social media post?
The controversy involves a 2015 post on X that depicted a condom being placed on a Shivling. Ghosh denies posting or creating it, claims her account was hacked, and says she publicly apologised when the post resurfaced in 2021. The post has triggered police complaints and renewed political scrutiny.
Did Saayoni Ghosh apologise for the Shivling post?
Yes, Ghosh says she issued a public apology in 2021 when the post first drew widespread attention. She has maintained that she neither created nor uploaded the image, and that the post was removed once it was brought to her notice.
What death threat allegations has Saayoni Ghosh made against the BJP?
Ghosh has alleged that BJP workers and leaders publicly offered a reward of ₹1 crore to anyone who beheads her. She described these as open, public statements and said they contradict the BJP's stated support for women's empowerment. The BJP has not publicly responded to these specific allegations.
Why does Saayoni Ghosh say the controversy is politically motivated?
Ghosh argues the row is being revived to intimidate and silence her as a vocal Opposition leader. She claims the BJP targets dissenting voices, particularly women, and that the aim is to prevent her from raising important issues in Parliament.
Who is Saayoni Ghosh?
Saayoni Ghosh is a Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP and Bengali actor who transitioned into politics. She has been known as an outspoken Opposition voice, both inside and outside Parliament, and has been at the centre of several political controversies.
