No, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah did not say he wants to be a ‘Muslim in his next birth’

What’s being claimed?

A video going viral on social media purportedly shows Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah expressing a desire to be reborn as a Muslim. This claim was notably shared by Rishi Bagree, an account known for spreading misinformation, on X (formerly Twitter) on March 12, 2024, with the caption, “Siddaramaiah wants to be born as Muslim in his next birth.”

The video snippet, which runs for 20 seconds and features Siddaramaiah speaking in Kannada, translates to him saying, “If there is another birth, in the next birth, I want to be born as a Muslim.” Despite the video initially garnering 19,200 views, it was subsequently removed; however, an archived version remains accessible here. Other users also shared the video in Kannada, speculating that Siddaramaiah's statement was an attempt to garner Muslim votes ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. An archived version of the post can be accessed here.

Screenshot of the viral video circulating online. (Source: X/Modified by Logically Facts)

However, upon closer examination, it becomes evident that the video has been edited. The complete version reveals that Siddaramaiah was quoting former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda to criticize the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) alliance with the regional Janata Dal (Secular) (JD(S)) in Karnataka's Mandya district.

Here are the facts

A reverse image search led to the discovery of the original, longer speech delivered by Siddaramaiah at a public event in Mandya district on March 10, 2024. This full version was broadcast live by Power TV News, a Kannada TV channel, on its YouTube channel.

The original video features Siddaramaiah criticizing the Janata Dal (Secular) (JD(S)) for forming an alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. He references events that occurred during the JD(S) government's tenure in Karnataka. It's important to note that the Congress and JD(S) had previously formed an alliance and were part of the Karnataka government in 2018, until the BJP ousted this government in 2019.

In the video, from the timestamp 1:16:20 seconds to 1:16:57, we can hear Siddaramaiah saying, “... both parties have joined together. Deve Gowda said I will never make an alliance with BJP; if there is another birth, in the next birth, I want to be born as Muslim because BJP is a communal party. You people (JDS) never supported BJP.” 

The viral clip also appears in the complete video of the public meeting posted by News18 Kannada on its YouTube channel, pinpointed at 3:01:20.

Siddaramaiah had also referred to the statement by HD Deve Gowda in February 2024, as reported by The New Indian Express. Although Deve Gowda's exact words could not be located, a video uploaded by News18 Kannada on January 19, 2023, reveals Prajwal Revanna, HD Deve Gowda's grandson, quoting the statement.

In January 2023, during a mass marriage event in Kolar, Prajwal quoted his grandfather's remark. At the 1:05-minute mark, Prajwal is heard stating that Deve Gowda had expressed a wish to be reborn in the Muslim community.

The verdict

A video showing Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah referencing a previous comment made by HD Deve Gowda has been edited and shared alongside a misleading narrative suggesting that Siddaramaiah expressed a desire to be 'reborn as a Muslim.' We have marked this claim as false.