Siddaramaiah meets KC Venugopal in Delhi over sting operation case
Synopsis
Karnataka's former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah flew to Delhi to brief national Congress leadership — including a likely meeting with Rahul Gandhi — over a sting operation controversy he has called a 'systematic blackmail conspiracy.' With the CCB probing the 2011-linked video and competing claims of insider involvement surfacing, the case is no longer just a Karnataka problem; it has landed on the party's national desk.
Key Takeaways
Siddaramaiah met AICC General Secretary K.C.
Venugopal in New Delhi on 2 November and was expected to meet Rahul Gandhi later the same day.
The meeting focused on a sting operation controversy involving a video purportedly referencing claims of sexual abuse from 2011 that circulated on social media.
Siddaramaiah has named a journalist and Krupa Alva of Mangaluru as individuals he believes were behind the alleged operation, calling it a 'systematic blackmail conspiracy.' The Central Crime Branch (CCB) in Karnataka is investigating the video's origins and circulation.
Siddaramaiah has lodged a police complaint and obtained an interim court injunction barring media and social platforms from broadcasting the video.
A large Karnataka Congress delegation — including Yathindra Siddaramaiah and A.S.
Ponnanna — was present at the Delhi meetings.
Karnataka's former Chief Minister and Congress Working Committee (CWC) member Siddaramaiah met All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary K.C. Venugopal in New Delhi on Monday, 2 November, and was expected to meet senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi later in the day, as the controversy surrounding the alleged sting operation linked to him continued to escalate to the national level.
Siddaramaiah is understood to have briefed the party leadership on the latest developments in the case and discussed the possibility of insiders being involved in the alleged operation.
Who Was in the Room
A substantial Karnataka Congress delegation accompanied Siddaramaiah to the meeting with Venugopal. Among those present were Urban Development Minister and Siddaramaiah's son Yathindra Siddaramaiah, Chief Minister's Political Secretary A.S. Ponnanna, former ministers Venkatesh, Legislative Council members Nagaraj Yadav, Dr Thimmaiah and Shivakumar, former member Ramesh Babu, and Vice-Chairman of the State Guarantee Schemes Implementation Authority Mehroze Khan. The presence of such a broad cross-section of Karnataka's Congress leadership signals the weight the party is attaching to the matter.
What the Sting Operation Case Is About
The controversy centres on a video — which purportedly features claims of sexual abuse from an incident in 2011 — that surfaced on social media. The Central Crime Branch (CCB) in Karnataka is investigating the alleged sting operation, the circulation of the video, and the circumstances surrounding its recording.
Siddaramaiah has described the episode as a 'systematic blackmail conspiracy,' naming a journalist and Krupa Alva of Mangaluru as individuals he believes were behind it. He has maintained that the video is 'completely baseless' and part of a malicious political campaign to tarnish his character, and has insisted that his eight-year tenure as Chief Minister and his long political career had not been marked by allegations of this nature.
Legal Steps Taken by Siddaramaiah
Siddaramaiah personally lodged a formal complaint with the Bengaluru City Police Commissioner, demanding an impartial investigation to identify those responsible for what he termed a 'concocted case.' He also moved the Bengaluru City Civil and Sessions Court to obtain an interim injunction restraining newspapers, television channels, and social media platforms from publishing or broadcasting the unverified video. He had earlier indicated that he believed the investigation into the matter was not proceeding appropriately.
Political Fallout and What Comes Next
The case has triggered a significant political controversy in Karnataka, with competing allegations surfacing about the possible involvement of Congress members — a dimension that has added urgency to Siddaramaiah's push to brief the national leadership directly. This comes amid a broader period of pressure on the Karnataka Congress government, which has faced scrutiny over multiple issues since taking office. The Delhi meetings are likely to shape how the party manages the controversy in the days ahead, particularly if the CCB investigation surfaces new findings.
Point of View
Political secretary, former ministers and council members in tow — tell their own story: the party is treating this as a crisis requiring central management, not a local one to be handled in Bengaluru. What is notable is the framing Siddaramaiah has chosen: the language of 'blackmail conspiracy' and 'concocted case' shifts the narrative from defending himself to attacking the operation's architects. That pivot has worked for politicians before, but it depends entirely on the CCB investigation corroborating the insider-involvement theory rather than complicating it. The risk for Congress is that the longer the case stays in the news cycle — even framed as a conspiracy — the more it distracts from the Karnataka government's policy agenda and gives the opposition a sustained line of attack.
NationPress
2 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Siddaramaiah travel to Delhi on 2 November 2026?
Siddaramaiah travelled to New Delhi on 2 November to meet AICC General Secretary K.C. Venugopal and was expected to meet Rahul Gandhi the same day, briefing the national Congress leadership on the alleged sting operation controversy involving him in Karnataka.
What is the sting operation case involving Siddaramaiah?
The case involves a video that purportedly features claims of sexual abuse from a 2011 incident and surfaced on social media. Siddaramaiah has called it a 'systematic blackmail conspiracy,' denied any wrongdoing, and lodged a formal complaint with the Bengaluru City Police Commissioner demanding an impartial investigation.
Who is the CCB and what is it investigating?
The Central Crime Branch (CCB) is Karnataka's specialised police unit. It is investigating the origins of the alleged sting operation, the circumstances under which the video was recorded, and how it was circulated on social media.
What legal action has Siddaramaiah taken?
Siddaramaiah filed a formal complaint with the Bengaluru City Police Commissioner and moved the Bengaluru City Civil and Sessions Court to obtain an interim injunction barring newspapers, television channels, and social media platforms from publishing or broadcasting the unverified video.
Who does Siddaramaiah believe is behind the sting operation?
Siddaramaiah has named a journalist and Krupa Alva of Mangaluru as individuals he believes orchestrated the alleged operation. He has also raised the possibility that certain insiders within the party may be involved, a claim that is reportedly part of his briefing to national Congress leaders.
