In the context of Congress leader Siddaramaiah recently being sworn in as the Chief Minister of Karnataka, a video is circulating widely on social media claiming that it shows Siddaramaiah dancing to a popular Kannada song while under the influence of alcohol. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Visuals of recently sworn in Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah dancing while under the influence of alcohol.
Fact: The viral video does not depict Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah dancing. Instead, it features a farmer named Channamaha Gowda from Mysore who bears a resemblance to Siddaramaiah. The video, which has been circulating since March 2018, was shot during a workshop on sustainable grains and millets held on the outskirts of Bengaluru. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
The viral video contains two distinct clips. The first clip shows Siddaramaiah consuming alcohol, while the subsequent clip alleges that he is dancing under the influence of alcohol. To ensure a thorough examination, let us analyse each of the clips individually made.
Clip 1:
According to local media reports, this clip shows Siddaramaiah consuming Champagne during his Birthday celebrations on 03 August 2022, in Davanagere, Karnataka. More videos showing the same incident can be seen here and here.
Clip 2:
After conducting a reverse image search on the keyframes extracted from the viral video, it has been revealed that the same clip has been circulating since March 2018, accompanied by the same claim. The viral video has been debunked by various media outlets back in 2018, including the Times of India, Bangalore Mirror, and other local media sources. According to their reports, the individual seen dancing in the video is identified as Channamaha Gowda (Channamaayi Gowda), a farmer from Mysore.
The video was recorded during a workshop on sustainable grains and millets held in March 2018 on the outskirts of Bengaluru. Channamaha Gowda, whose appearance in terms of facial expressions, clothing, and footwear resembles that of Siddaramaiah, received a commendation from both the workshop organizers and fellow farmers present at the event. When the video started gaining traction with false claims, Suvarna News conducted an exclusive interview with Channamaha Gowda, during which he clarified that he is the person seen dancing in the viral video.
To sum it up, the viral video does not show Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah dancing. Instead, it features a farmer from Mysore who bears a resemblance to Siddaramaiah.
