BENGALURU: Union Minister for Steel and Heavy Industries HD Kumaraswamy on Wednesday alleged that Chief Minister DK Shivakumar had used a “sting operation” against his predecessor, Siddaramaiah, and that it was instrumental in his removal from the CM’s post.
KPCC Media and Communication Department chairman Ramesh Babu, however, dismissed Kumaraswamy’s allegation, terming it politically motivated and baseless.
Reacting to Shivakumar’s reported warning to his Cabinet colleagues about possible sting operations, Kumaraswamy alleged that the former was himself an “expert” in conducting such operations and was now using the issue to keep his ministers under control.
“Congress leaders themselves have told me that Shivakumar became CM after carrying out a sting operation and submitting it to the high command,” Kumaraswamy told reporters at the JDS office in Bengaluru.
The Union minister alleged that Siddaramaiah had been summoned to Delhi on the pretext of discussions on Cabinet expansion, but was instead confronted with the sting operation and pressured to resign. Kumaraswamy claimed that the Congress high command, Shivakumar and a media organisation had acted together in the episode. “Who conducted the sting, who was behind it and which media organisation was involved are known to everyone,” the JDS leader said.
Referring to Shivakumar’s warning to his ministers, Kumaraswamy questioned, “Does he not trust his ministers? Is this how a state should be governed?”
Kumaraswamy also alleged that Shivakumar had earlier used similar tactics against political rivals and cited the cases involving Ramesh Jarkiholi and KN Rajanna. Kumaraswamy also alleged that similar tactics had earlier been used against the Deve Gowda family. He alleged that Shivakumar held a conversation with a perpetrator over the issue of his nephew and former Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna’s pen drive allegedly consisting of sleazy videos.
Kumaraswamy said Shivakumar was now trying to shift the blame onto the Opposition saying that they planned a sting on his cabinet colleagues.
Kumaraswamy further recalled Rajanna’s earlier statement in the Assembly that several people, including political leaders, had allegedly been subjected to sting operations, and asked what happened to the allegation later. He alleged that Shivakumar was attempting to exercise control over his ministers by warning them about possible sting operations. Kumaraswamy also alleged that the Congress government had reduced Cabinet discussions to issues such as “honey traps and sting operations”, instead of development and governance.
Politically motivated, says Cong’s Ramesh Babu
KPCC Media and Communication Department chairman and former MLC Ramesh Babu on Wednesday dismissed Kumaraswamy’s allegation that former CM Siddaramaiah was forced out of office following a “sting operation”, terming it politically motivated and
baseless. “Kumaraswamy’s allegation is nothing but a politically motivated and baseless attempt to create confusion within the Congress party,” Ramesh Babu said.
He said Siddaramaiah’s political stature and mass support had never depended on “secret operations or conspiracies” and maintained that decisions within the Congress were taken through established party processes. Ramesh also hit back at Kumaraswamy, referring to controversies involving alleged recordings, phone tapping and sting operations. “It is ironic that Kumaraswamy, who has himself faced serious political controversies involving alleged recordings, phone tapping and sting operations, is now preaching lessons on political morality to others,” he said.
He alleged that Kumaraswamy’s remarks were aimed at pleasing his ally BJP and safeguarding his position in the Union Government. “Kumaraswamy should first put his own political house in order instead of manufacturing imaginary conspiracies within the Congress,” Ramesh said, asserting that the Congress remains united and that attempts to create divisions within the party through such statements would fail.