Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has filed a police complaint against seven individuals for allegedly disseminating false information aimed at inciting communal tensions ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Simultaneously, the state unit of the Congress party has filed a complaint with the Election Commission against the BJP for circulating fabricated content and violating the Model Code of Conduct.
Siddaramaiah emphasized, “Miscreants, supported by the unholy alliance of BJP-JDS, have concocted misinformation resembling a report from a Kannada newspaper. This fake news, designed to fuel communal tensions, has been widely circulated on social media platforms. I have already filed a police complaint regarding this matter. We have identified the vested interests behind this and expect the police to take appropriate action.”
The police complaint has been registered with the West Division CEN (Cybercrime, Economic Offences and Narcotics) police station in Bengaluru.
Siddaramaiah condemned the resorting to such deceitful tactics for electoral gains instead of engaging in fair and honest political discourse, calling it a reflection of the BJP and JD-S’s intellectual bankruptcy. He added, “A party that has governed the country for 10 years should not stoop to the despicable level of fabricating fake news to win elections.”
He urged the public to be cautious before believing and sharing fake news, asserting the government’s commitment to rooting out the creators of such misinformation through legal means.
State Congress leaders also lodged a complaint with the Chief Electoral Officer, citing the release of a spurious image resembling a newspaper clipping by social media accounts associated with the BJP. The image featured Siddaramaiah with misattributed quotes, falsely alleging favoritism towards Muslim voters over Hindus, among other inflammatory statements.