States » SouthPosted at: Oct 8 2026 12:02PM


Sting operation warning sets off fresh political war in Karnataka

Bengaluru, Oct 8 (UNI) A warning by Chief Minister DK Shivakumar to his Cabinet colleagues about alleged sting operations targeting ministers has opened a fresh front in Karnataka politics, with the Opposition turning the Chief Minister’s own caution into a political weapon and demanding answers on who is behind the alleged operations.
The issue came to the fore after Shivakumar reportedly told ministers at a recent Cabinet meeting that intelligence inputs suggested that two teams were conducting sting operations against ministers and advised them to remain extremely cautious in their interactions.
The Chief Minister’s warning triggered an immediate political storm, with BJP and JD(S) leaders questioning why the government was apprehensive about sting operations and demanding that the agencies allegedly conducting them be identified.
The controversy intensified after union Minister HD Kumaraswamy directly targeted Shivakumar, alleging that a sting operation had earlier been used to create circumstances that led to former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s resignation.
Kumaraswamy questioned the basis of the Chief Minister’s warning and challenged the government to reveal what information it had received from the Intelligence Department. He also alleged that the Congress had itself used such methods in the past.
The BJP too seized on the issue. State BJP president Vijayendra Yediyurappa said the history of sting operations was well known and questioned why the Chief Minister was warning ministers instead of taking action against those allegedly carrying out the operations.
Leader of Opposition R Ashoka attacked Shivakumar with the political jibe that the warning reflected the mindset of a person who was worried about being exposed.
BJP MLC CT Ravi also joined the attack, questioning whether the Chief Minister was effectively teaching ministers how to avoid being caught rather than advising them to maintain transparency and probity in public life.
The Congress, however, hit back, accusing the Opposition of trying to politicise intelligence inputs. Minister HC Balakrishna came to Shivakumar’s defence and turned the spotlight on Kumaraswamy, alleging that the JD(S) leader had himself been associated with sting operations and secret recordings in the past.
Kumaraswamy responded by questioning why the government had not acted if it possessed concrete information about an ongoing sting operation. He challenged the ruling party to produce evidence instead of making allegations.
The controversy has also revived references to former Minister KN Rajanna’s earlier statements in the Legislative Assembly about alleged sting operations within political circles. Though that controversy had subsequently faded, the Chief Minister’s latest warning has brought the issue back into the centre of Karnataka’s political discourse.
What began as a purported security and intelligence warning inside the Cabinet has thus rapidly transformed into a political battle involving allegations of surveillance, blackmail and the use of secretly recorded material for political advantage.
The Opposition is now pressing the government on three key questions — who is conducting the alleged sting operations, whom they are targeting and what action the Intelligence Department has taken.
For Shivakumar, the controversy comes at a politically sensitive juncture, with the Congress government already facing sustained attacks from the Opposition on several fronts. His warning was intended to put ministers on guard, but it has instead handed the BJP and JD(S) another line of attack against the government.
With both sides trading accusations and invoking past episodes of alleged sting operations, the issue threatens to turn into another prolonged political slugfest in the State.
The sting operation controversy, far from remaining a Cabinet-room warning, has now become the latest battlefield between the Congress government and the Opposition.
UNI BDN
Tags: #Sting operation warning sets off fresh political war in Karnataka
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