Siddaramaiah speaks to the media on October 13.
Bengaluru: Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has denied any connection to a sting-operation video circulating on social media and said he has approached the Bengaluru Civil and Sessions Court to restrain publication or broadcast of the video where his name is mentioned.
He said attempts to link him to the video amounted to a politically motivated smear campaign. His statement described an application seeking restraint on newspapers, television channels and social media platforms.
Complaint seeking impartial police investigation
Siddaramaiah said he had also lodged a complaint with the City Police Commissioner seeking an impartial investigation into the video. He expressed confidence that the inquiry would bring out the truth and asked the media and public not to spread what he described as false information.
He described his decision to approach the court as a precautionary step. Modern technology made it easy to present falsehood as truth, he said, while asserting that his five decades in public life were known to the people of Karnataka.
Siddaramaiah said he supported freedom of expression and had not obstructed media freedom during his political career. However, alleged misuse of that freedom by some outlets had compelled him to seek judicial restraint, he said, expressing regret over the situation.
The statement sets out Siddaramaiah’s denial and the relief he says he has sought. It does not announce a court order granting that relief.
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