Karnataka Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Vice President Haratalu Halappa has publicly accused School Education and Literacy Minister Madhu Bangarappa of being the mastermind behind a sting operation that allegedly targeted him, claiming he was among the first political figures in the state to be victimised by such tactics. Speaking at Anavatti village in Soraba taluk of Shivamogga district on Monday, 19 October 2026, Halappa issued a direct challenge to Bangarappa to deny the charge.

The Allegation and the Challenge

Halappa levelled his accusation in unambiguous terms, saying: 'I was the first victim of a sting operation. I swear before God at a temple that the person behind the sting operation was Education Minister Madhu Bangarappa. The present Education Minister is the father of sting operations.' He further alleged that a woman connected to the case had been unwilling to file a formal complaint against the minister, adding that a DNA test could have led to the minister's imprisonment had she pursued the matter.

Notably, Halappa claimed that 192 phone calls were made to the woman from the minister's residence over a period of six months, and pledged to disclose the full details — including the frequency and reciprocal calls — before television cameras 'when the time is right.'

Background: A Controversy Going Back to 2010

Halappa's remarks are rooted in a turbulent episode from over a decade ago. He was at the centre of a major political and criminal controversy in 2010 after being accused of sexual assault — a case that ended in his acquittal in 2017. At the time, he was a close aide of then Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa and resigned from his position following a report in a Kannada daily alleging sexual misconduct.

Both Halappa and Minister Madhu Bangarappa belong to the Ediga community and hail from Shivamogga district, adding a layer of intra-community political rivalry to the ongoing dispute. Halappa said he had resigned as an MLA after four-and-a-half years in office — short of completing a full five-year term — with the intention of forming a new political party, before eventually rejoining the fold alongside Yediyurappa.

Broader Context: Karnataka's Sting Operation Row

Halappa's accusations arrive amid an escalating political controversy in Karnataka over alleged sting operations targeting prominent leaders across party lines. The Central Crime Branch (CCB) police are actively investigating the matter. This is not the first time sting footage has upended Karnataka's political landscape — the state has seen several such episodes over the past two decades, often with significant electoral and legal consequences for those implicated.

Halappa referenced earlier legal battles involving both himself and Yediyurappa, framing them as victims of politically motivated cases: 'We have not forgotten the days we spent in jail or the conspiracies through which we were imprisoned. We will never forget those days. This time, there is no question of sparing anyone,' he said.

Warning Shots at the Education Minister

In a pointed broadside, Halappa urged Minister Bangarappa to stop invoking Yediyurappa's name and instead account for his own record. 'Let the Education Minister stop speaking about former chief minister B.S. Yediyurappa and focus on informing people about the development work we have done,' he said, signalling that the BJP intends to keep the pressure on Bangarappa ahead of future electoral contests.

With the CCB probe still ongoing and Halappa promising fresh disclosures, the political fallout from Karnataka's sting operation controversy is far from over.