BENGALURU: Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has cautioned his Cabinet colleagues to remain vigilant against possible sting operations, amid reports that private agencies could be secretly recording ministers’ conversations and movements.
Sources said Shivakumar raised the issue at the Tuesday's Cabinet meeting and reportedly showed ministers a file containing details of alleged ongoing sting operations and a list of ministers, some five, purportedly being targeted.
The CM is learnt to have advised ministers to exercise caution while meeting people privately, visiting hotels and other places and discussing sensitive matters, as such interactions could be secretly recorded and later used for political purposes. Ministers were also reportedly warned against being indiscriminate about private meetings and photographs with strangers.
The reported warning comes as political activity intensifies ahead of the 2028 Assembly elections.
This is not the first time Shivakumar has alerted Congress leaders. During the Enforcement Directorate (ED) searches involving PWD Minister Satish Jarkiholi’s family members, Shivakumar had claimed that around 40 Congress MLAs and ministers were under the ED’s scanner and urged party leaders to remain cautious.
He had also accused the BJP-led Central government of using the ED to politically target Congress and its leaders in Karnataka.
The latest claims about alleged sting operations have not been independently established. There is no official confirmation so far on the identity of the agencies allegedly involved or the authenticity of the purported target list.