Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy on Saturday, 17 October led a padyatra with hundreds of Janata Dal (Secular) workers to the office of Director General and Inspector General of Police M.A. Saleem in Bengaluru, demanding swift action and the arrest of individuals allegedly behind an ongoing sting operation controversy. The march drew significant political attention, with party MLAs and former MLAs joining the demonstration.

The Padyatra and Police Response

High drama unfolded as the procession reached the DG-IGP office, where police had erected barricades at the entrance to manage the crowd. Protesters were pushed back from the entrance and confined to a corner, where they continued raising slogans of 'We want justice.' Following the demonstration, Kumaraswamy met State Police Chief Saleem and submitted a formal memorandum detailing the sequence of events surrounding the controversy.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Kumaraswamy said party legislators and former legislators had joined the march specifically to draw attention to developments in the state. He alleged that the state government had turned a blind eye to the matter.

Kumaraswamy's Key Allegations

The Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel raised several pointed questions about the sting operation controversy. He noted that former Chief Minister and Congress Working Committee (CWC) member Siddaramaiah was reportedly not featured in the video at the centre of the row, which allegedly contained a discussion between two or three individuals.

Kumaraswamy questioned why the video had been made in Siddaramaiah's name despite his absence from it. 'The media person in that video claims that he conducted the sting operation. But why was the video made in Siddaramaiah's name?' he asked. He also raised concerns about remarks made about a woman featured in the video, expressing disappointment over what he described as an inadequate response from the former Chief Minister.

Addressing Siddaramaiah directly, Kumaraswamy acknowledged their shared political history — both as allies and opponents — but stressed that the controversy demanded a serious response. 'Is your blood not boiling after seeing this?' he asked.

Targeting the State Government

Kumaraswamy also trained his criticism on the Congress-led state government's handling of the episode. He questioned why Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar had disclosed at a Cabinet meeting that sting operations had been conducted against several ministers, and why those details had subsequently been shared with the media.

He further criticised Home Minister Priyank Kharge's stance on the matter, saying the case appeared to warrant immediate action. Kumaraswamy claimed that non-bailable warrants had been pending against a person linked to the controversy since 2013-14, and questioned why police had been unable to act against him. He also ridiculed suggestions that such a person should be considered for the Karnataka Ratna award.

What Happens Next

After submitting the memorandum, Kumaraswamy said he had come away with doubts about the operational freedom available to police in the matter. He indicated that JD(S) would wait a few days for a response to the memorandum before deciding on its next course of action — a decision he said would be taken after the ongoing festival period.

The controversy is likely to intensify political friction between the JD(S)-BJP combine and the ruling Congress government in Karnataka in the days ahead.