A trimmed video of Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, in which he allegedly says the INDIA bloc will not win the Lok Sabha elections, is doing rounds on social media.
Several handles on X, the social media platform also called Twitter, have used the clip to claim that the opposition has conceded defeat to Narendra Modi-led BJP.
Onmanorama did a fact-check and found that the trimmed clip was taken out of context. If anything, Shivakumar's comment can be treated as a modern equivalent of the old English tale about a man hanged (or released) because of a 'comma', stressing the need for correct punctuation.
What did Shivakumar say?
Shivakumar is heard speaking into the mic of the news agency, ANI, as he walks down a hall. Only a part of the question posed by the journalist is heard. Shivakumar responds: "I don't believe... we will have, India will form the government." The duration of the trimmed clip is seven seconds.
A slightly longer version of the video, 14 seconds to be precise, was uploaded by ANI on X.
Shivakumar is asked about the 'winning prediction of Congress', to which he replies: "All seven seats we will win." It is unclear which state is being talked about here.
The journalist asks a second question: "What is your prediction on these exit polls..." Shivakumar stops, turns to the reporter and says: "I don't believe (one-second pause) we will have, India will form the government." From this, it appears the "I don't believe" part was his answer to the question on exit polls that have given a clear majority for the ruling NDA.
The 'comma' case
According to an English legend, a judge convicted a man to be hanged. There are many versions of the alleged note from the judge. One example goes like this: "Hang him not leave him". As the conviction order wasn't correctly punctuated, the clerk (or jailer) misread it as "Hang him not, leave him." And so, the man was released.