BENGALURU: Former chief minister and senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah stated in a press release on Tuesday that over the past few days, he noticed that a malicious campaign was being carried out against him by linking his name to a sting operation video circulating on social media. “This clearly appears to be an attempt to tarnish my reputation and assassinate my character with political motives,” Siddaramaiah said.
“Though I have absolutely no connection with this sting operation video, certain miscreants have been using it to spread malicious propaganda against me,” he said, adding that he had moved the court only as a precautionary measure and he has nothing to fear. “I firmly believe that truth will ultimately prevail.”
“My conscience is clear that I am completely innocent in this matter. I am confident that the people of Karnataka, who are familiar with my five-decade-long political career, which has been an open book, are equally aware of this.
However, in this age of advanced technology, it has become easy to portray falsehoods as truth,” he stated. Siddaramaiah stated that he has submitted a complaint to the Bengaluru city police commissioner, requesting an impartial investigation into the video. “I am confident the investigation will bring out the truth. Until then, I appeal not only to the media but also to the public to refrain from unnecessarily circulating such false information and to stand by the truth,” he pleaded.
Conspiracy to damage my dad’s reputation: Yathindra
Urban Development Minister Yathindra Siddaramaiah on Tuesday alleged that a fake video targeting former chief minister Siddaramaiah is being circulated on social media which is a conspiracy to spread misinformation and damage his reputation.
Some individuals had made allegations against his father on Instagram, prompting a complaint against those responsible for circulating the video, he said. “Such content spreads rapidly across platforms, and we cannot simply remain silent and watch it happen. People who come across the video may mistake it for truth,” he added. Yathindra said his father wanted action against those who posted the video, adding that the current political climate had deteriorated.
“Someone appears to have been instigated to carry out a ‘sting operation’. We are not merely seeking a court stay, we are also filing cases against those circulating the fake video,” he said. He said it is unfortunate that even prominent political leaders like Siddaramaiah have to face such malicious campaigns. “This is politics, and one has to face such challenges. We will face them. As soon as the video surfaced, my father discussed it with us and said he will file a complaint. He subsequently did and got a stay,” he said.
“We are not upset. One would be upset only if there was any wrongdoing. The system is flawed,” he added.
