BENGALURU: Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Friday said he has left the investigation into the alleged sting operation on former chief minister Siddaramaiah to the Home Department, even as he met Home Minister Priyank Kharge at his Sadashivanagar residence amid escalating political tensions over the case.
“I have left the entire matter to the Home Department. They are handling it,” Shivakumar told reporters at Vidhana Soudha when asked about the investigation. Refusing to comment further on the controversy, he said, “Time will answer everything. Let him (Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy) make any kind of allegation. We are least bothered about it. The truth will remain. No one can rubbish the truth. We will answer at the appropriate time.”
Kharge met Shivakumar and briefed him on the progress of the police investigation and developments relating to the case, sources said. The two Congress leaders left together in the same car after their discussions.
The meeting assumes significance amid a war of words between Kumaraswamy and Kharge over the handling of the case. The Opposition has demanded the arrest of those allegedly involved in the sting operation and sought a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe.
Kumaraswamy staged a protest at the Bengaluru City Police Commissioner’s office on October 15, demanding the arrest of Rakesh Shetty, whom he has accused of playing a key role in the alleged sting operation. He withdrew the protest after the Police Commissioner assured him that all those involved would be investigated.
However, the Union minister has given the police a two-day deadline to arrest the key accused and warned of statewide protests if they fail to act. The JDS would convene a meeting of its MLAs and party leaders on Saturday to decide its next course of action.
Kumaraswamy has alleged a political conspiracy behind the sting operation and claimed that those involved have links with the Congress high command.
Meanwhile, Siddaramaiah’s close aides and ministers M B Patil and Krishna Byre Gowda met him at his official residence, Cauvery.
The issue was also reportedly discussed at the cabinet meeting on October 15. According to sources, the government favoured allowing the ongoing police investigation to continue rather than ordering a separate high-level probe, with further action to be considered after the police examine the available evidence.
Kharge has rejected Kumaraswamy’s demand for a CBI investigation, maintaining that the Karnataka Police would handle the case.
The Cyber Crime police are investigating the matter, which has triggered allegations and counter-allegations involving several political leaders. Siddaramaiah has also approached the court over the circulation of the videos and obtained interim relief against the dissemination of unverified and allegedly defamatory material.
With Kumaraswamy’s deadline approaching, the progress of the investigation and the government’s response to the Opposition’s demands are expected to shape the next phase of the political confrontation.
SERIOUS QUESTIONS ABOUT SOURCE OF FUNDS, SAYS KUMARASWAMY
Bengaluru: Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H D Kumaraswamy said the controversy surrounding the sting operation had raised serious questions about the source and movement of funds. Responding to media persons’ questions on Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka’s statement that around Rs 10 crore to Rs 15 crore had been spent on conducting the operation, the Union minister said the claims warranted a thorough investigation.
“Why are you limiting the discussion to the amount of money involved? If the entire matter comes out, it could seriously damage the state’s reputation. The situation has reached a point where the implications go far beyond the figures being discussed,” Kumaraswamy said. Lots of details will come out if the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Income Tax Department investigate the allegations that a substantial amount of money changed hands, he said.
