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| - Fact Check: BJP leader caught with EVM in Karnataka? No, mob destroyed equipment found in poll officer's car
As per the Chief Electoral Officer of Karnataka, a polling officer was dragged out of the car, and assaulted with stones.
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India Today Fact Check
The car seen in the viral video did not belong to a BJP leader. It was that of a polling officer who was also mahandled during the incident.
As Karnataka waits for election results, a video allegedly from the state has been widely shared online. It shows a car surrounded by an angry mob, some of whom could be seen destroying electronic voting machines (EVMs).
Sharing the video, one person tweeted, "Local people created a ruckus after EVM machine was found in BJP leader's car,” along with the hashtag “Karnataka Elections". Others too shared the video with similar claims. The archived version of such tweets can be seen here, here, and here.
Gujarat Congress’ Hitendra Pithadiya shared the video on Twitter and wrote in Hindi, "Locals created a ruckus after EVMs were found in a BJP leader's car!” Prashant Anand, the coordinator to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, also shared the video and wrote in Hindi, "See, public outrage as soon as EVM found in BJP leader's car. People have become so disturbed by Modi's lies that they have taken a stand to remove the BJP. Looking like the 2024 trailer." The archived version of such posts can be seen here and here.
India Today Fact Check's investigation found that the viral claims are misleading. The EVMs were not recovered from a Bharatiya Janata Party leader's car. Rather the car belonged to an on-duty polling officer.
Our Probe
A keyword search on the internet led us to an Outlook India news report from May 11, that said that in Karnataka's Vijayapura district on the day of the Assembly polls, residents of the Masabinala village allegedly stopped a poll-duty vehicle carrying electronic voting machines (EVMs), and manhandled an officer. Twenty-three people were arrested. Other media outlets also reported the same news.
We also found that in response to a similar viral tweet, the official Twitter account of the Deputy Commissioner of the Vijayapura district wrote, “It is false. Actually. Reserve EVMs carried in sector officer vehicle was stopped by villagers and damaged the EVMs. Case has been registered ad 24 people have been arrested.”
After that, we found a press note on the official website of the Chief Electoral Officer of Karnataka. Per the note, “Malappa Hanamantappa Yerajari, Revenue Sector Officer of Basavan Bagewadi Assembly along with other staff was carrying reserve EVMs & VVPATs from Basavana Bagewadi's strong room towards Masabinal in Car No: KA- 28/Z-2305. During this time, around 100-150 public stopped their vehicle near Venkatesh temple, Masabinal and abused them in filthy language and dragged them out of the car, assaulted them with stones with the intention to kill them, damaged their vehicle, EVMs & other polling materials.”
The Superintendent of Police in Vijayapura, HD Ananda Kumar also tweeted the same information, dismissing any BJP leader's involvement in this incident.
Thus, it is safe to conclude that the car seen in the viral video did not belong to a BJP leader.
(With inputs from Aishwarya Paliwal and Babu Tadlagi)
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