Bengaluru, October 8:
Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar has sounded a major political alarm, claiming that several state ministers are being targeted in alleged “sting operations” ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections.
Speaking during a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday night, Shivakumar reportedly warned ministers that the BJP and JD(S) had allegedly brought in specialised agencies from Delhi to keep a close watch on key members of his Cabinet. He said information had reached him that surveillance had currently been intensified on five ministers.
The Chief Minister is understood to have spoken to the ministers individually and advised them to exercise extreme caution in their political and official dealings. Shivakumar also reportedly warned that central agencies could step up scrutiny of ministers, claiming that the Enforcement Directorate had already been examining the alleged sources of income of around 40 MLAs.
Kumaraswamy Fires Back
Union Minister and JD(S) leader H.D. Kumaraswamy hit back sharply at the Chief Minister, accusing Shivakumar of using the “sting operation” issue as a political drama to keep ministers under his control.
Kumaraswamy also alleged that Shivakumar had previously used similar tactics against ministers in the earlier Siddaramaiah government and claimed that the political developments that followed ultimately helped him secure the Chief Minister’s post.
Political War Intensifies
The explosive allegations have added fresh fuel to the already intense political battle in Karnataka. With the next Assembly elections approaching, the claims of surveillance, sting operations and possible central-agency action are expected to trigger another major confrontation between the ruling Congress and the BJP-JD(S) camp.
Neither the alleged agencies nor the identities of the five ministers under purported surveillance have been officially disclosed so far.
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