BENGALURU: Former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah has approached a Bengaluru court seeking to restrain the publication and circulation of a video linking him to an alleged sting operation, calling it an attempt at character assassination driven by political malice.His son and state minister Yathindra Siddaramaiah also rejected the video as fake, alleging that it was part of a campaign to spread false propaganda and damage the senior Congress leader’s reputation.In a statement on Tuesday, Siddaramaiah said he had moved the Bengaluru Civil and Sessions Court for an injunction against the video’s publication or broadcast. He also lodged a complaint with the city police commissioner, seeking an impartial investigation into its circulation.“I have noticed that my name is being linked to a sting operation video that has been circulating on various social media platforms over the past few days, with a campaign of disinformation being carried out against me. This appears to be a clear attempt at character assassination driven by political malice,” he said.Siddaramaiah denied having any connection with the video and alleged that some people were using it to malign him. He appealed to the media and the public not to circulate what he described as false information.The veteran Congress leader said his five-decade political career was familiar to the people of Karnataka and described it as an open book. He also expressed confidence that the allegations would not undermine his position.“However, in this age of modern technology, it has become easy to portray falsehood as truth,” he said.Explaining why he had sought legal intervention, Siddaramaiah said the move was precautionary and maintained that he had nothing to fear.“It is in this context that I have approached the court as a precautionary measure. Beyond that, I have nothing to fear. I am confident that truth will ultimately prevail,” he added.He said he supported freedom of expression and had never obstructed the media from exercising it. However, he argued that the alleged misuse of that freedom had left him with little choice but to seek an injunction.“However, given the misuse of this freedom by certain media outlets, circumstances have compelled me to seek an injunction through the court to restrain the publication and broadcast of the video. I regret that the situation has come to this,” he said.Speaking to reporters on Monday night, Siddaramaiah had said, “There was false publicity against me on social media. Hence, I am seeking an injunction.”Yathindra, meanwhile, said a complaint had been filed seeking action against those responsible for circulating the video. He argued that people unfamiliar with the facts could be misled into believing it was genuine.“They are spreading false propaganda. Can we simply sit back and watch?” he asked.Rejecting the description of the video as a sting operation, the minister alleged that it was a deliberate attempt to damage his father’s image.“This is not a sting operation but a conspiracy to spread false propaganda and tarnish someone’s image,” Yathindra said.Asked whether the political climate had reached a point where leaders needed court intervention to counter allegations, Yathindra said even an experienced politician like his father was being targeted.“Politics today has sunk to such a low level that even a senior leader like Siddaramaiah has to face such false allegations,” he said.Yathindra said his father had informed him about the video soon after it surfaced and told him he planned to file a complaint. He said he had advised Siddaramaiah to proceed after seeking legal advice.“I told him to go ahead and file the complaint after taking legal advice,” he said.Asked whether the episode had shaken his faith in the system, Yathindra said there was no reason to feel bad if one had done nothing wrong.“One should feel bad only if one has done something wrong,” he said.He added that political leaders had to contend with such developments once they entered public life.“What can we do about the system? The system is in a bad state today. Once we enter politics, we have to face whatever comes our way,” he added.(With agency inputs)
