HYDERABAD: The scourge of fake news saw politics plunging to new depths in the State on Thursday, with manipulated video clips leaving many a voter confused and the candidates flustered on the polling day for the bitterly fought Munugode byelection.
Some of the fake news clips that went viral on social media claimed that Congress contestant Palvai Sravanthi and BJP contestant Komatireddy Rajgopal Reddy met TRS supremo K Chandrasekhar Rao. The fake video clips hinted that they were likely to join the TRS post the election results. The TRS too fell victim to fake news, an obviously fake report claimed that TRS leader Karne Prabhakar was all set to join the BJP.
Sravanthi was left shocked on learning about a fake video clip claiming that she had called on the TRS supremo.What is worrisome is that the fake video creators superimposed the template of a popular news channel and copied its tone and tenor. Even Sravanthi believed that it was the handiwork of a particular news channel and declared that she would initiate legal action against it. Undoubtedly, these fake videos were created to mislead the viewers and create mischief.
Sravanthi condemned the viral video clips, describing them as sordid attempts to dent her prospects in the byelection. “Never in my life have I met KCR,” she asserted, rejecting the video clips that were complete with morphed photos.
Her recent pictures giving a bouquet to Congress MP Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, asking him to extend support to her in the byelection, were used to launch a malicious campaign against the party, Sravanthi said. The creators of the fake video replaced the image of Venkat Reddy with one of the chief minister, to make it appear genuine.
The photographs of BJP contestant Komatireddy Rajgopal Reddy meeting the chief minister a few years ago were used to claim that the former was joining TRS.The chief minister too condemned the fake news clips during his presser.
Recent pics used in clip
Sravanthi’s recent pictures giving a bouquet to Congress MP Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, asking him to extend support to her in the byelection, were used against her