On viral video, Sadananda Gowda says it's deep fake; complaint filed

Former Union minister Sadananda Gowda, who is the member of parliament from Bengaluru North, is also the former chief minister of Karnataka. The video is the latest to torment the BJP in Karnataka and further entangling the government in a web of complications.

Former union minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader DV Sadananda Gowda on Sunday said that his image was morphed into a video that was going viral online. He said he has filed a complaint with the cybercrime police.

Former union minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader DV Sadananda Gowda. (HT Photo)

“Dear well wishers, a morphed (deep fake) video of mine has been making rounds on social media. I would like to inform that, it is not me in the video, it’s created to malign my impeccable image by my adversaries with vested interest,” Gowda said in his post on Twitter.

The tweet comes after a video of a person who appears to be Gowda with an unnamed woman over a video call.

Gowda, who is the member of parliament from Bengaluru North, is also the former chief minister of Karnataka.

The video is the latest to torment the BJP in Karnataka and further entangling the government in a web of complications.

Ramesh Jarkiholi, who had served as Karnataka’s water resources minister in the B.S.Yediyurappa-led government, in March resigned from the cabinet a day after allegations of sexual exploitation surfaced against the legislator from Belagavi.

Jarkiholi too had secured an injunction from the courts against publishing, distribution and sharing the contents of a video and audio calls even though he had called it fake.

In barely a few days of the Jarkiholi video surfacing, at least six ministers who had defected from the HD Kumaraswamy-led Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) coalition secured injunctions against publishing, circulating or sharing any content which were obscene or derogatory.

Dr K Sudhakar, one of the six who did secure an injunction, had later drawn ire from all legislators when he, in March, suggested that all 225 members of the legislative assembly face an inquiry into their personal lives.

Fire-brand BJP leader Basanagouda Yatna, a fierce critic of Yediyurappa, had alleged that there were “CDs” of the 78-year-old.

Even BJP leaders hit out at the suggestion of Sudhakar, further adding to the growing tensions within the party.

Gowda was left out of the union cabinet of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in July.

The former union minister said that he has filed a complaint with the cyber crime police and that he had faith that the culprits would be caught.

“Also, as per the injunction order of the court, anyone forwarding/uploading the content will be punishable as per the relevant sections of the law. If you know of anyone doing the same, kindly inbox me,” he said in his post. Gowda had secured an injunction in July.

One woman BJP worker had levelled allegations of sexual harassment against Gowda in 2018 at the height of the Me Too movement.

Gowda’s son was also accused of rape in 2014 when an actress filed a complaint and a day later stated that the duo had married secretly and that the family accept her as the daughter-in-law.