NEW DELHI: Union minister HD Kumaraswamy on Wednesday made a startling allegation that Karnataka chief minister DK Shivakumar had conducted a sting operation against Siddaramaiah, forcing the veteran Congress leader to step down from the chief minister’s post.Kumaraswamy’s remarks came after Shivakumar reportedly told ministers at a cabinet meeting that a sting operation was being carried out against them.“Due to the sting operation conducted by DK Shivakumar, the Congress high command insulted and removed Siddaramaiah from the CM post in a very humiliating manner. A news channel and the Congress high command joined hands with DK Shivakumar and removed Siddaramaiah. Siddaramaiah, who went to Delhi believing he was called to discuss cabinet expansion, was informed about the sting operation and his resignation was taken,” the JDS leader alleged.“The way his resignation was taken was not right. Congress did not treat such a senior leader properly. Who did all this? Who is behind it? Which media house is involved? Everyone knows,” he asked.Kumaraswamy further claimed that some of his “friends” from the Congress itself told him that Shivakumar became CM through a sting operation. He described the chief minister as a “master at doing sting operation.”“He is a master at doing sting operations. He is trying to keep all ministers under his control by conducting sting operations. He himself did the sting and is now trying to put the blame on opposition parties. If I have done any sting, let him take action. He has an SIT; he has even given it a Rs 35 lakh award! Let him get it investigated. Who has stopped him?” the Union minister stated.
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“In the past, development issues were discussed in cabinet meetings. Now in DK Shivakumar’s time, honeytrap, sting operations are being discussed. Instead, from morning till evening he sits doing sting operations. His own party MLAs come and tell me. This is the sorry state of affairs this state has come to,” he added.Shivakumar became Karnataka chief minister in June, after his party colleague and political rival Siddaramaiah resigned nearly three years into his second stint as chief minister, which began in May 2023. Shivakumar served as deputy chief minister under a reported power-sharing arrangement, under which Siddaramaiah was expected to step down after completing 2.5 years of his second term.(With ANI inputs)