K’taka sting Op row: Siddaramaiah moves court; BJP accuses Cong of betrayal
Bengaluru: The controversy surrounding an alleged sting operation in Karnataka took a fresh turn on Tuesday, with former Chief Minister and Congress Working Committee member Siddaramaiah approaching a Bengaluru court seeking an injunction to restrain the circulation and broadcast of allegedly defamatory audio and video clips.
Reacting to the development, senior BJP leader and Leader of Opposition R. Ashoka accused the Congress party of ‘betraying Siddaramaiah, using and discarding him’.
Siddaramaiah has filed a petition before the Additional City and Sessions Court (CCH-18) in Bengaluru, seeking an injunction against the circulation and broadcasting of audio and video clips allegedly containing defamatory content about him in connection with the reported sting operation. He has also sought an investigation into the matter. The court is likely to take up the petition on Tuesday.
The development follows allegations by former BJP leader and MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal that Siddaramaiah was forced to resign through blackmail. Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy has also spoken about the alleged sting operation involving Siddaramaiah.
Reacting to the development, Ashoka alleged that Congress had betrayed Siddaramaiah and pushed him into a situation where he had to approach the court for relief.
Speaking to the media in Bengaluru, Ashoka said he was making the remarks with a heavy heart and against his own wishes. He noted that Siddaramaiah had surpassed former Chief Minister D. Devaraj Urs’s record and had even sacrificed the Chief Minister’s post.
“Today, it is Congress that has caused Siddaramaiah the distress of having to approach the court. This is an ungrateful and deceitful Congress that has stabbed him in the back. They have brought him to such a miserable situation where he has to approach the court seeking a stay order. They have used and discarded him,” Ashoka alleged.
He also demanded that an FIR be registered immediately in connection with the alleged sting operation and the audio and video clips.
Ashoka further accused the Congress government of neglecting the state’s problems, particularly the severe drought and the difficulties faced by farmers.
He claimed that farmers were returning even the meagre financial assistance provided by the government, while the ruling party remained preoccupied with the alleged sting operation and the circulation of video clips.
The BJP leader also criticised Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, alleging that he had spent more time in Delhi than in Karnataka since assuming office.
“Without even the slightest concern for the people of the state, they are busy discussing who got the sting operation conducted,” Ashoka said.
