Union Minister Karandlaje demands SIT probe into sting operations in Karnataka
Mysuru (Karnataka): Union Minister of State for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and Labour & Employment, Shobha Karandlaje, on Monday alleged that the Karnataka government was resorting to blackmail to retain power and demanded an immediate Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the alleged sting operations targeting political leaders.
Speaking to reporters in Mysuru, she alleged that blackmail was being used within the ruling party and the government to manage political affairs and secure positions of power. She claimed that sting operations were being conducted and CDs containing alleged compromising material were being used to threaten certain individuals.
“They are running the administration by blackmailing people within their own party and government. There is information that former Chief Minister and Congress Working Committee (CWC) member Siddaramaiah was forced to step down from the Chief Minister’s post using these sting operations,” she alleged.
Karandlaje termed the alleged practice a black mark on the state, accusing those involved of resorting to unethical means to gain and retain power. She said the developments had attracted attention outside Karnataka, with people in other states questioning what was happening in the state.
“This will not bring honour to anyone. Such practices must come to an end,” she said.
The Union Minister demanded that the state government immediately order an SIT investigation into the alleged sting operations and ensure stringent punishment for those found responsible.
“I am requesting the Chief Minister in this regard. People are pointing fingers at you,” she alleged, urging the state government to take immediate action.
Karandlaje’s remarks come amid the ongoing political controversy surrounding alleged sting operations and claims of the use of compromising material to influence political developments within the ruling party.
Earlier in the day, she participated in a programme at the Mysuru Palace premises, where she arranged breakfast for the families of mahouts and kavadis accompanying the Dasara elephants.
It can be noted that the sting operation row has created a stir in the state politics. Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy on Saturday led a padyatra with hundreds of JD(S) workers to the office of Director General and Inspector General of Police M.A. Saleem in Bengaluru, demanding swift action and the arrest of those behind the ongoing sting operation controversy.
BJP Karnataka President and MLA B.Y. Vijayendra has urged Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara to take the sting operation case seriously, conduct a comprehensive investigation and take it to its logical conclusion.
Meanwhile, Karnataka Police, investigating the sting operation controversy and the uploading of a video allegedly related to Siddaramaiah, have written to YouTube seeking technical details, including the IP address from which the video was uploaded and information about the person who uploaded it, officials said on last Saturday.
