Bengaluru, Oct 7 (IANS) Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy on Wednesday questioned Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar over the alleged sting operations being conducted against Congress ministers, saying Shivakumar himself had warned his Cabinet colleagues to be cautious about their movements and interactions.

Kumaraswamy was reacting to reports that Shivakumar had cautioned ministers during Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting that private agencies were allegedly conducting sting operations against some of them.

“Yesterday in the Cabinet, he advised his ministers, ‘Where are you going? Where are you sitting? Where are you spending your time? I am getting all the news. Some people are actually doing sting operations.’ I think he is the main person. Even without believing his own Cabinet ministers, he is trying to take control of all ministers by doing sting operations,” Kumaraswamy said while addressing the media in Bengaluru.

He said he was surprised that the issue had reportedly received considerable attention during a Cabinet meeting in which more than 52 subjects were discussed.

According to reports, Shivakumar had told ministers that inputs regarding alleged sting operations had been received and advised them to exercise caution while meeting people and attending events outside their official engagements. He is also said to have revealed the names of some ministers who were allegedly being tracked and warned that four to five ministers could potentially be targeted.

The issue was discussed in detail during the Cabinet meeting, and the revelation reportedly left several ministers shocked.

The alleged operations have triggered concerns within the ruling establishment over the possibility of politically damaging material being recorded and circulated ahead of the next Assembly elections.

Asked whether the alleged sting operations were being carried out by the BJP and JD(S), Kumaraswamy denied making such an allegation. Instead, he claimed that some Congress leaders themselves were spreading reports concerning former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

Asked who had conducted the alleged sting operation in the “Rajanna issue” (former minister and Congress MLA K.N. Rajanna), Kumaraswamy said Congress leaders were claiming that a sting operation had contributed to Siddaramaiah’s removal as Chief Minister.

“No, I am not saying it. Congress friends themselves are saying it — that Siddaramaiah was removed by the high command because of this sting operation only. Some of their ministers and some important Congress leaders are spreading this news,” he said.

Kumaraswamy also criticised the state government over the Cabinet’s decision to increase milk prices by up to Rs 8 per litre.

He said he did not want to condemn the price increase as such, but questioned how the common man and poor families would bear the additional burden.

“If you want to help the farming community who are living by producing milk and who are facing drought and problems in getting feed for the cows, you are already giving a Rs 5 subsidy from the government to the farming community. You can increase that. You can give that eight or ten rupees from the government as part of your seventh guarantee to the farmers,” he said.

Kumaraswamy also referred to the reported leakage of a Finance Department note concerning Karnataka’s financial position. The note had reportedly warned the government about financial constraints and advised expenditure restraint and caution over launching unbudgeted projects.

The developments come amid growing political exchanges between CM Shivakumar and Union Minister Kumaraswamy.

–IANS

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