Fact Check: Bhongir MP Kiran Kumar Reddy thrashed for morphing KTR’s photo? No, viral claim is false
A 2022 video of Bhongir MP Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy is being circulated with a false claim.
By M Ramesh Naik Published on 21 Nov 2024 9:47 AM GMT
Claim: Viral video shows Bhongir MP Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy being assaulted by the police for morphing a photo of BRS working president KT Rama Rao.
Fact: The claim is false. The video is old, and it shows police action on Kiran Kumar Reddy during a protest in Hyderabad. Newsmeter Network
Newsmeter Network
Hyderabad: A video of a group of police officials thrashing a man with sticks has gone viral. Those sharing the video claim that it shows Bhongir Congress MP Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy being punished for morphing a photo of BRS working president KT Rama Rao. (Archive)
Another X user has claimed that Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy was thrashed by the police in connection with a theft case.(Archive)
Fact Check
NewsMeter found that the claims are false. The video is from a protest in 2022.
A reverse keyframe search of the video led to a photo story published by ABP Live on June 16, 2022. One of the photos closely matched the viral video and is described as showing TPCC spokesperson Kiran Kumar Chamala during a protest.
Here’s a comparison of the frames of the viral video and the screenshot.
According to the report, the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC), led by its then-president A Revanth Reddy, was protesting against the Union government’s questioning of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi through the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
ABP Live also mentioned in its photo story that the screenshot is from the protest to seize Raj Bhavan in Hyderabad, where police used force to disperse the crowd. Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy, who was a TPCC spokesperson at the time, was injured during the police action.
Chief Minister Revanth Reddy shared the video of Kiran Kumar Reddy being attacked by the police on his official X handle, condemning the police’s actions.( Archive)
On June 16, 2022, he tweeted, “I strongly condemn this attack on TPCC spokesperson @kiran_chamala by police personnel…” Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy became Bhongir MP in 2024, two years after the video was recorded. Additionally, Revanth Reddy shared photos of Kiran Kumar Reddy receiving treatment at a hospital.(Archive)
Hence, we conclude that the claim is false. The video of Bhongir Congress MP being assaulted by the police has no connection to KTR or any theft case.
