Siddaramaiah’s ‘World Record’ Certificate Mocked as ‘Made in Karol Bagh’ After Fake Claim Row

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah recently took to X to celebrate two world records - one for the Shakti Scheme achieving "the largest number of free bus rides availed by women, with 564.10 crore journeys," and another recognising KSRTC as "the most award-winning road transport corporation in the world" with 464 national and international honours since 1997.

The now-deleted post credited the London Book of World Records (LBWR) as the certifying authority. However, soon after, social media users began questioning the authenticity of the certificate, noting that LBWR had been dissolved on July 15, 2025, according to records from the UK Companies House.

Controversy Over Certificate Authenticity

X users quickly circulated official UK registry links showing the company's dissolution, casting doubt on the legitimacy of the certificate. Some also highlighted inconsistencies and language errors in the document, such as mismatched mentions of "record" and "records" and awkward formatting.

One user joked that the certificate appeared to have been "drafted in Karol Bagh," implying it might have been created locally rather than by a credible UK institution.

Political Reactions

Opposition leaders wasted no time in criticising the Congress-led state government. BJP's CT Ravi called the document a "forgery," saying, "This certificate looks as fake as the Congress government itself."

BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya called it a "BIG embarrassment for Congress," noting grammatical errors and pointing out that LBWR was now seemingly run from Chuna Mandi, Paharganj, Delhi.

"Someone literally conned the Congress. Only Congress could fall for such a scam within a scam," Malviya posted on X.

The incident has sparked debate about political accountability and the need for proper verification before public announcements.

The deleted post has since become a flashpoint in Karnataka's political discussions, with critics questioning how official communications were cleared without verification.