Republic TV chief editor Arnab Goswami and R Kannada editor Niranjan J have been booked for allegedly spreading fake news about Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah and attempting to incite hatred.
Based on a complaint from the Congress, police have filed an FIR at S J Park police station in Bengaluru, according to Kannada outlet Vartha Bharati.
The Congress claimed that Siddaramaiah was in Mysuru when R Kannada aired footage to claim that his convoy blocked traffic and obstructed an ambulance on Wednesday evening. The video was aired without verification to spread unrest ahead of elections, the Congress alleged.
Congress spokesperson Lavanya Ballal Jain tweeted, “Case has been filed against Arnab Goswami and the R Kannada channel editor Niranjan J for telecasting false news against CM…They telecast a video clip claiming CM stopped vehicular traffic and obstructed the ambulance while travelling in Bangalore. But the CM had not travelled on the said date, he was in Mysore.”
There have been several instances in the past involving Siddaramaiah’s convoy stopping ambulances citing security reasons.
R Kannada on Thursday afternoon issued a corrigendum, stating that it had fact-checked the claims made by the BJP sources. It posted the video on X, saying that when the channel fact-checked the claim made by BJP sources, it was found that the claim about the CM’s convoy blocking an ambulance was false.