Will you file fake news case on CM over jab remarks?: BJP's R Ashoka to Priyank Kharge

Bengaluru: Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka, on Sunday, challenged IT/BT Minister Priyank Kharge to act, asking whether a fake news case would be filed against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for linking Covid-19 vaccines with the recent spike in heart attack deaths in the state. 

In a sarcastic post on X, Ashoka wrote, “If needed, get a fact-check done through @zoo_bear and then file a case”. 

Ashoka’s remarks come in the wake of a report by a state government-appointed expert panel, which found no evidence supporting Siddaramaiah’s earlier claim that the vaccines might be linked to a surge in heart attacks, particularly in Hassan district.

The panel concluded that the rise in sudden cardiac deaths was multifactorial—driven by behavioural, genetic and environmental factors, not vaccination.

Ashoka called the CM “brand ambassador of fake news” and said it was the “greatest irony of the century” that a government led by him was preparing legislation to curb misinformation.

Calling the situation “Karnataka’s tragedy,” Ashoka accused Siddaramaiah of spreading misinformation under the guise of leadership.

Ashoka mocked Siddaramaiah’s recent appointment as a member of the AICC OBC national advisory committee, calling it a “rehabilitation centre” and suggesting that the move signals his political winding-down.

The BJP leader claimed on his post that Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi had indirectly asked the CM to step down.

“Respected Siddaramaiah, madam Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi are indirectly saying ‘your service is enough, resign and retire,’ the post said.