Tensions Escalate Again Within Karnataka Congress: Sting Operation Causes Stir; Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah at Odds

New Delhi. A sting operation has become a major topic of discussion in Karnataka politics. It is alleged that the operation is linked to former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. Both the former CM and his son, Yathindra, have explicitly dismissed it as fake, asserting that it was deliberately fabricated to tarnish his reputation. On Friday, they suggested that certain Congress leaders might also be involved in the alleged sting video, which was reportedly created in 2023 by Rakesh Shetty, the Managing Director of ‘Power TV’.

Rakesh Shetty—considered a close associate of Shivakumar—has been granted interim bail by a local court in Bengaluru. Meanwhile, Yathindra has alleged that some Congress members were colluding with Shetty. Pointing toward a female Congress worker, he claimed that she had sought a party ticket for the Puttur constituency during the 2023 assembly elections.

Yathindra mentioned that his father is deeply distressed by the incident. He stated, “In his 40 years of public life, his reputation has remained untarnished; now, at this final stage of his political career, this has occurred. He is troubled by it. However, the truth is on our side, and once an investigation is conducted, the facts will come to light.”

Attempt to Capitalize on Internal Congress Dissent
The opposition BJP and its ally, the JD(S), have sought to exploit the controversy surrounding this sting video. JD(S) leader and Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy recently remarked, “A well-orchestrated conspiracy was hatched to remove Siddaramaiah from the post of Chief Minister. Those behind it even misled the Congress high command.” He further labeled Shivakumar as the “Sting King” of Karnataka. Kumaraswamy takes aim at the Chief Minister
While expressing support for Siddaramaiah, Kumaraswamy has urged him to speak openly about the matter to prevent his reputation from being tarnished by rumors and insinuations. In response, Siddaramaiah stated on Friday, “No one is standing with anyone. I do not need anyone’s support. The public and the entire state deserve to know the truth. I have faith in the investigative process, and the inquiry must be impartial. My only demand is that the truth be revealed. We must uncover who is behind this conspiracy.”

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Kumaraswamy has claimed that following a complaint filed by Siddaramaiah at the Bengaluru Cyber ​​Crime Police Station on October 6, the Bengaluru Police have begun questioning two employees of the JD(S) social media unit—Shankar and Mohan. Last week, Kumaraswamy staged a protest outside the offices of the Bengaluru Police Commissioner and the Director General of Police (DGP) of Karnataka, demanding the arrest of Rakesh Shetty.

Siddaramaiah also files a complaint
The complaint filed by Siddaramaiah on October 6 names the unknown creators of a ‘honey trap’ channel in Karnataka as the accused. The FIR, registered based on his complaint, states: “On September 27, 2026, some unidentified individuals leveled false and malicious allegations via a YouTube channel. They secretly recorded a video, published it on YouTube, and circulated it publicly. This has caused harm to [my] social standing and personal life. An investigation must be conducted into those who created this video with malicious intent and disseminated it on YouTube.”

On October 13, a local court in Bengaluru, acting on a petition filed by Siddaramaiah, issued an interim stay on the broadcast and publication of this fabricated ‘sting’ video.