A video snippet purportedly showing Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah expressing a desire to be reborn as a Muslim is being widely shared on social media, sparking controversy. However, a closer look revealed that the video is misleading and taken out of context. The 20-second video clip, shared on platforms like X by right-wing handle Rishi Bagree (@rishibagree), falsely alleges that Siddaramaiah expressed a wish to be born a Muslim in his next life. Similar claims in Kannada further fuel the misinformation.
Context revealed
The India TV Fact Check team investigated the origin of the video and found that it was clipped from Siddaramaiah's speech at a public event in Mandya on March 10, 2024. In the original speech, Siddaramaiah referenced former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda's statement about never supporting the BJP and jokingly wishing to be born a Muslim in his next life. Siddaramaiah used this to criticize Gowda for aligning with the BJP, pointing out the inconsistency in his stance.
Misleading cropping
The viral video omitted crucial parts of Siddaramaiah's speech where he named Deve Gowda and criticized him for his political alliance with the BJP. This selective cropping stripped away context, and misrepresented Siddaramaiah's remarks.
Screenshot of the 20-second video clip shared on platforms like X.
Verifying the source
Further investigation revealed that several news reports corroborated Siddaramaiah's reference to Deve Gowda's previous anti-BJP stance. An article by The Hindu dated March 10, 2024, highlighted Siddaramaiah's surprise at Gowda's alliance with the BJP, citing his past statements about opposing the party.
Screenshot of the news article.
Previous remarks reiterated
Siddaramaiah's comments about Deve Gowda's old statements were not new. In an interview in February, he made similar remarks, emphasising the contrast between Gowda's past views and his current political decisions.
Conclusion
While the viral video attempted to portray Siddaramaiah in a negative light, a deeper examination reveals that it is a misrepresentation of his actual statements. The selective editing served to distort the context and mislead viewers about the true nature of Siddaramaiah's remarks.
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