BENGALURU: Former minister K N Rajanna here on Tuesday alleged that "sting factories" had mushroomed across Karnataka's political establishment, with such operations becoming commonplace, and described the controversy surrounding the alleged sting operation targeting former Chief Minister and Congress Working Committee member Siddaramaiah as an insult to the people of the state.
"Everyone seems to have their own sting factory. These operations have become common in Karnataka politics, forcing politicians to hang their heads in shame. This is an insult to the people of Karnataka," he said, questioning why the controversy was dominating public discourse when the state had several other pressing issues.
Speaking to reporters Rajanna said the government should take steps to put an end to such activities, while noting that investigations and legal proceedings related to the controversy were already under way.
He declined to comment on court proceedings, saying it would be inappropriate to discuss judicial matters in public.
Defending Siddaramaiah, Rajanna said the former Chief Minister had committed no wrongdoing and, therefore, there was nothing wrong in his assertion that he did not need moral support over the issue.
"If Siddaramaiah had committed a mistake, he could have expected others to support him. But he has not done anything wrong, so he does not need anyone's support on this issue," Rajanna said.
He added that political leaders would generally welcome support from others, but maintained that Siddaramaiah's position was understandable in the circumstances.
Rajanna said he had tried to meet Siddaramaiah in Mysuru but could not do so as the latter had left for Shravanabelagola. He said he would meet the former Chief Minister after a meeting scheduled for Tuesday afternoon. Asked about Siddaramaiah's proposed meeting with Rahul Gandhi, Rajanna said it could be a routine interaction.
On the Dasara controversy, Rajanna demanded that an atrocity case be registered against the IPS officer who allegedly stopped ministers from attending an event during the celebrations. He said the ministers concerned should lodge a complaint and that the government should initiate a suo motu case if they failed to do so.
Referring to ministers Basavanthappa, P M Narendra Swamy and Shivaraj Tangadagi, Rajanna said the alleged incident had humiliated Dalit representatives and called for action against those responsible.
Asked about reports of a meeting between his MLC son Rajendra and Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy, Rajanna said he was unaware of the developments as he had been away and would seek details before commenting.
