T’puram: Former finance minister K N Balagopal said he will initiate privilege proceedings against those responsible for allegedly morphing and circulating a video of his remarks in the assembly, claiming that they edited his comments and presented them in a misleading manner. Balagopal said they distorted his statement by combining it with unrelated visuals to create the impression that he had insulted opposition leader Pinarayi Vijayan.Referring to the controversy over the phrase – the opposition leader should stand up and speak – he clarified that he merely meant the opposition leader would speak and that his remarks were taken out of context. He also criticized speaker Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan for commenting on the issue outside the assembly without ascertaining the facts.A controversy arose after video clips went viral on social media during a heated exchange between the treasury and opposition benches amid claims that Balagopal had told Vijayan, ‘Stand up and say something; don’t remain silent’. The edited clip was widely shared, portraying Balagopal as having spoken disrespectfully to Vijayan.Later, Radhakrishnan had remarked that Balagopal’s conduct was inappropriate and that Vijayan, a two-time chief minister, deserved due respect. But Balagopal categorically denied the allegation, maintaining that the viral video misrepresented what had actually transpired in the assembly.
