His son and Karnataka minister Yathindra Siddaramaiah dismissed the video as fake and said it was being circulated to tarnish his father's image.
Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. (Photo: ITG)
Bengaluru,Oct 13, 2026 20:27 IST
Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said he had moved a court to seek an injunction against the publication and circulation of a video linking him to an alleged sting operation, calling it a disinformation campaign aimed at character assassination. He also said he had filed a complaint with the City Police Commissioner and sought an impartial investigation.
His son and Karnataka minister Yathindra Siddaramaiah dismissed the video as fake and said it was being circulated to tarnish his father’s image.
He said a complaint had been filed seeking action against those responsible and rejected suggestions that the clip amounted to a sting operation.
In a statement, Siddaramaiah said, "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 he had no connection with the video and alleged that certain people were using it to malign him.
He urged the media and the public not to circulate what he described as false information. Expressing confidence in his innocence, the veteran Congress leader said the people of Karnataka knew his five-decade-long political career, which he described as an open book. "However, in this age of modern technology, it has become easy to portray falsehood as truth," he said.
Explaining his legal move, Siddaramaiah said, "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 also said he firmly supported freedom of expression and had never obstructed the media from exercising it. "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 said, "There was false publicity against me on social media. Hence, I am seeking an injunction".
Yathindra said, "They are spreading false propaganda. Can we simply sit back and watch?" He added that people who were unaware of the facts might believe the video was genuine. "This is not a sting operation but a conspiracy to spread false propaganda and tarnish someone’s image," he said.
When asked whether politics had reached a point where leaders needed court intervention, Yathindra said even a senior Congress leader like his father was being targeted with false allegations.
"Politics today has sunk to such a low level that even a senior leader like Siddaramaiah has to face such false allegations," he said.
He said his father had informed him about the video as soon as it surfaced and that he had advised him to proceed after taking legal advice.
Asked if he was disappointed with the system, Yathindra said, "One should feel bad only if one has done something wrong. 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".
Overall, Siddaramaiah and his son have maintained that the video is false, said legal and police action has been initiated, and urged people not to circulate it.
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