Kumaraswamy's name surfaces in sting operation case against Siddaramaiah
What's the story
The ongoing sting operation controversy in Karnataka has now reached Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy. The Bengaluru Police Commissioner, Seemant Kumar Singh, revealed that the phone used for the alleged operation against former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was bought in Delhi and given to one Prajwal Prasad at Kumaraswamy's official residence. Ritesh Pandey, who uploaded the video of this alleged sting on social media, was arrested by the Central Crime Branch (CCB) on October 24.
Denial and accusations
Kumaraswamy accuses Congress of framing him
Kumaraswamy has denied any involvement in the sting operation and accused the Congress-led state government of trying to frame him.
He alleged a conspiracy by Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and Home Minister Priyank Kharge to divert the investigation toward his party, Janata Dal (Secular).
"We are not afraid of this. Our party has the strength to face it," he said while addressing reporters.
Investigation update
Home minister warns Kumaraswamy to ensure his associates cooperate
Home Minister Kharge said that technical evidence and significant leads have emerged in the case. He assured strict legal action against anyone found involved, irrespective of their position.
However, he questioned why certain individuals associated with Kumaraswamy had not cooperated with investigators.
"He should have asked them to cooperate with the investigation. Why is he not doing so?" Kharge asked.
Accusations
'This is just trailer; movie is yet to come'
Kharge accused Kumaraswamy of indulging in "dirty politics" against AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge and Siddaramaiah.
He said that the investigation is ongoing and added, "This is just the trailer; the movie is yet to come."
In October, Kumaraswamy had alleged that Shivakumar forced Siddaramaiah to resign as chief minister after threatening to release videos from sting operations.
Video
What is video about?
The viral footage reportedly includes Siddaramaiah and former commission chairperson Krupa Alva. The Bengaluru Police have labeled the footage as fabricated and deliberately constructed. Additionally, a Bengaluru court has granted a temporary injunction to stop the broadcast of the video.
On October 24, the Bengaluru Police's Central Crime Branch (CCB) arrested Ritesh Pandey in Delhi for uploading the video to social media