Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah takes a dig at BRS leader Rama Rao over fake edited videos

PTI, Dec 19, 2023, 5:37 PM IST

Source: PTI / File

Bengaluru: Taking a dig at Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Working President K T Rama Rao, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said his party lost in the Telangana Assembly elections, because they don’t even know how to verify what is fake and edited videos, and what is truth.

He accused the BRS of circulating fake edited videos created by BJP, and called it the ”perfect B-team” of the saffron party.

The Chief Minister was responding to Rao’s post on X, sharing a purported edited video of his statement in Karnataka Assembly, where he can be heard making a reference to lack of funds to deliver poll promises or guarantees.

”Mr. K T Rama Rao, Do you know why your party lost in the Telangana Elections? Because you don’t even know how to verify what is fake and edited, and what is truth. BJP creates fake edited videos, and your party circulates them. Yours is a perfect B Team of BJP,” Siddaramaiah said on X.

Sharing a video of Siddaramaiah’s speech in the Assembly, Rao had said, ”No money to deliver poll promises/guarantees says Karnataka CM! Is this the future template for Telangana too after successfully hoodwinking the people in elections ?” ”Aren’t you supposed to do basic research and planning before making outlandish statements?” the Chief Minister asked.

Mr. @KTRBRS, Do you know why your party lost in the Telangana Elections?

Because you don’t even know how to verify what is fake and edited, and what is truth. @BJP4India creates fake edited videos, and your party circulates them. Yours is a perfect B Team of BJP.

If you are… https://t.co/Ey5y9K3fLd

— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) December 19, 2023

In his December 17 post, in which he had attached the unedited video of his statement, the Chief Minister accused BJP leaders of indulging in deceptive tactic, involving circulating an edited video that distorts his statements, falsely implying an admission of the Congress’s inability to fulfill promises made in 2023.

”Contrary to the manipulated narrative, the unaltered video clearly reflects my remarks in the assembly, holding the BJP accountable for failing to fulfill promises made in their 2018 manifesto, especially the loan waiver promise they had made”, he said.

”I cited the fact that Yediyurappa (former CM), in 2009, had stated that they didn’t have a printing machine to print notes and lacked the funds to waive farm loans. Yediyurappa had acknowledged that it was not possible for the BJP to fulfill promises made during elections…..”

Claiming that his government has fulfilled all the guarantee schemes within the first week of government formation and are in the process of fulfilling other manifesto promises, Siddaramaiah said, ”We are committed to our promises. The attempt to manipulate the narrative by presenting a distorted video is a disconcerting example of misinformation that undermines the public’s right to accurate information.”