Thiruvananthapuram: The office of former chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday dismissed as "factually incorrect" a claim made by BJP leader and filmmaker Major Ravi regarding the security arrangements during the funeral of late actor Innocent.

In a statement, the Opposition Leader's office said Major Ravi's allegation that then Chief Minister had visited Innocent's funeral with an escort of 56 vehicles and 560 police personnel was contrary to facts.

The statement also alleged that fabricated videos carrying similar claims were being circulated through certain social media profiles.

"The actual visuals of Pinarayi Vijayan paying his last respects to Innocent were widely carried by the media. Anyone who examines those visuals can easily understand that the claim is baseless," it said.

The office criticised Major Ravi for allegedly engaging in what it termed "cheap propaganda" and said such actions were condemnable.

It further warned that legal action would be initiated against those responsible for spreading false and misleading content on social media platforms regarding the issue.

The "Kandahar" filmmaker recently praised Chief Minister V D Satheesan for his conduct during the funeral of actor Salim Kumar.

Referring to an incident in which Satheesan reportedly stopped a person from draping a shawl over him and personally intervened to regulate the rush of online media personnel at the venue, Major Ravi said the chief minister's actions reflected the principle that elected representatives are public servants accountable to the people who voted them to power.

In contrast, Ravi, while talking to online media, alleged that when actor Innocent passed away, the then chief minister travelled through the narrow locality with an entourage comprising 56 vehicles, around 560 police personnel and 10 fire force units, causing considerable inconvenience to residents.

However, he didn't directly mention Vijayan's name. PTI