A video going viral on social media shows police personnel in uniform touching the feet of a person sitting in a car and accepting money. The post is being shared with claims that the person is a political leader in Karnataka, with some specifically alleging that he is a Congress MLA (here, here, and here). In the video, the man in the car can be heard asking the police not to touch his feet while in uniform, but they proceed to do so anyway. Let’s verify the claim made in the post through this article.
Claim: The video shows police personnel touching the feet of a Karnataka Congress MLA and accepting money from him.
Fact: The person in the viral video is Siddhanakolla Shivakumar Swamiji, a spiritual leader, not a Congress MLA. Reports confirmed that six policemen in the Badami district were transferred after touching his feet in uniform and accepting money from him following public criticism. The Sixteenth Karnataka Legislative Assembly’s official website confirms that there is no MLA named Siddhanakolla Swamiji in the current assembly. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
A reverse image search of keyframes from the viral video led to an Instagram post by Daijiworld News, dated 14 March 2025, featuring the same video. The post stated that six policemen in Bagalkot were transferred for touching the feet of a Swamiji and accepting his money.
Using clues from the Instagram post, we searched with relevant keywords and found multiple reports (here, here, and here). According to these reports, six policemen in Karnataka’s Badami district were accused of accepting money from Siddhanakolla Swamiji, a spiritual leader, after bowing at his feet. Following public objections, the Bagalkot Superintendent of Police ordered their transfer to different police stations.
We also found an interview with Siddhanakolla Swamiji posted on TV9 Kannada’s YouTube channel on 14 March 2025. In the interview, the anchor noted that despite Swamiji’s attempt to stop them, the policemen still touched his feet while in uniform. Siddhanakolla Swamiji stated that those who bowed were devotees of the monastery and acknowledged that it shouldn’t have been done, but they did so out of personal belief.
Additionally, to verify the claim that he is a politician, we conducted a Google keyword search for Siddhanakolla Swamiji but found no details of an individual by that name involved in politics in Karnataka.
We also reviewed the members of the Sixteenth Karnataka Legislative Assembly on the official website, which confirmed that there is no MLA named Siddhanakolla Swamiji in the current assembly.
To sum up, a video of police officers seeking blessings from a spiritual leader is falsely shared, claiming he is a Congress MLA.
