Former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah met senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi on Monday to discuss the escalating sting‑operation controversy that has engulfed the state.
The meeting, held at a government office, included Karnataka Urban Development Minister Yathindra Siddaramaiah, the chief minister’s legal adviser Ponnanna and a delegation of senior party functionaries. Earlier that day, Siddaramaiah had briefed Congress General Secretary K.C. Venugopal on recent developments, outlining concerns that insiders might have facilitated the alleged sting.
According to Siddaramaiah, a formal complaint has already been lodged with the Bengaluru City Police Commissioner, seeking an impartial probe into the video that surfaced on social media. The clip, which claims a 2011 sexual‑abuse incident, has been dismissed by the former chief minister as fabricated and part of a systematic blackmail scheme. He also approached the Bengaluru City Civil and Sessions Court for an interim injunction to restrain media outlets from broadcasting the unauthenticated footage.
Accompanying the chief minister to Delhi were his son Yathindra, legal adviser Ponnanna, former ministers Venkatesh, Legislative Council members Nagaraj Yadav, Dr Thimmaiah and Shivakumar, former member Ramesh Babu and Mehroze Khan, vice‑chairman of the State Guarantee Schemes Implementation Authority. Their presence underscored the seriousness with which the Congress leadership is treating the matter.
The sting operation has triggered a probe by the Central Crime Branch, which is examining the video’s origin, its circulation and the circumstances of its recording. Siddaramaiah has named a journalist and Krupa Alva of Mangaluru as potential conspirators, adding fresh momentum to a controversy that has now reached the national political arena.
While Siddaramaiah emphasised that his eight‑year tenure as chief minister and his longer political career have never been marred by such allegations, he warned that unnamed individuals are exploiting blackmail as a political weapon. The meeting with Rahul Gandhi concluded with a consensus to pursue a thorough investigation and to protect the party’s reputation.
Image: Wikipedia — Siddaramaiah
📰 Source: Mangalorean News