Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H D Kumaraswamy has challenged Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar to clarify his recent claims regarding alleged sting operations targeting the state government. Days after the Chief Minister asserted that a Union minister and a BJP leader had hired an agency to embarrass his cabinet colleagues and bureaucrats, Mr. Kumaraswamy demanded to know why no official investigation has been initiated into the matter.
Speaking on the issue, the JD(S) leader questioned how five ministers could continue to serve in the Cabinet if the government truly believed they were the subjects of targeted sting operations. He urged the Chief Minister to move beyond creating public suspicion and provide clarity. Mr. Kumaraswamy further alleged that the Chief Minister had held a private meeting with an individual associated with sting operations at a five-star hotel, and called for an explanation regarding the nature of that relationship.
The Union Minister dismissed suggestions from Home Minister Priyank Kharge that a formal complaint was a prerequisite for an investigation, arguing that authorities had initiated probes in other instances without such filings. Mr. Kumaraswamy also suggested that the timing of these allegations was a diversionary tactic intended to shift public attention away from his ongoing campaign concerning corruption in the NICE Road project.
In response to the controversy, Congress MLA Ravikumar Ganiga recently addressed a press conference where he displayed a pen drive, claiming to possess evidence regarding the operations. He stated that he intends to release this information within a week. As of now, the state government has not announced a formal inquiry into the claims, leaving the political discourse centered on the conflicting narratives between the state leadership and the Union Minister.
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