Authors
Kushel HM is a mechanical engineer-turned-journalist, who loves all things football, tennis and films. He was with the news desk at the Hindustan Times, Mumbai, before joining Newschecker.
Claim
Invitation to the swearing-in ceremony of new Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah on May 18.
Fact
Invite found to be fake, oath-taking ceremony is on May 20.
An “invitation” to the swearing-in ceremony of newly appointed Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah and his cabinet of ministers in Bengaluru on May 18 has gone viral on social media, following the Congress’s election win over the weekend. We have received this “letter” on our Whatsapp tipline (9999499044), requesting us to verify its authenticity.
The archived versions of the tweets can be seen here and here.
Also read: 2018 Video Of Muslim Man Threatening Cop Falsely Shared In Context Of Congress’ Win In Karnataka
Fact check
Newschecker noticed that the earliest instance of the “invite” being tweeted out was at 9:03am, May 17. The official announcement that Siddaramaiah is the next chief minister of Karnataka, while DK Shivakumar will be his deputy was made by KC Venugopal, the Congress’s general secretary, at 1:11pm, May 18, 2023.
News outlets, quoting sources, had broken the news early on Thursday that Siddaramaiah was to be the next chief minister. According to an HT report, dated May 18, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge arrived at the consensus for government formation shortly after midnight on May 17, following hectic parleys held in the national capital over the past three days. Similar articles can be seen here and here, confirming that the decision to appoint Siddaramaiah as chief minister was a late-night development.
More importantly, the articles state that the two will take oath on May 20, contradicting the viral letter. This was further confirmed by a press briefing by Venugopal, who said, “On May 20, at 12:30 pm, along with CM and Deputy CM, a group of ministers will be sworn in. We are inviting like-minded parties to the swearing-in.”
Also Read: Video Of Shivakumar Ripping Textbook During 2022 Protest Falsely Linked To Karnataka Polls Aftermath
A relevant keyword search on Twitter led us to this tweet by a senior editor with News18, DP Satish, stating that the viral “invite” was fake.
We then came across news reports by The Hindu, Deccan Herald, New Indian Express, dated May 17, stating that a “fake” draft of an invite was doing the rounds on social media.
We reached out to Raj Bhavan, Karnataka, authorities, who said that no official invite has been prepared yet and that the swearing-in ceremony would most likely be on May 20.
Also Read: Did Doctors’ Plea Seeking No Police Presence In Examination Room Result In Dr Vandana Das’ Death?
Conclusion
An invitation stating that Karnataka Governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot would administer the oath of office to new chief minister Siddaramaiah on May 18 was found to be fake.
Result: False
Sources
Tweet by KC Venugopal, May 18, 2023
Hindustan Times report, May 18, 2023
The Hindu report, May 17, 2023
(With inputs from Ishwarachandra BG)
If you would like us to fact-check a claim, give feedback, or lodge a complaint, WhatsApp us at 9999499044 or email us at checkthis@newschecker.in. You can also visit the Contact Us page and fill out the form.
Authors
Kushel HM is a mechanical engineer-turned-journalist, who loves all things football, tennis and films. He was with the news desk at the Hindustan Times, Mumbai, before joining Newschecker.
