Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge on Saturday, 24 October 2026, warned that visitors wearing camera-equipped Meta smart glasses during meetings with senior ministers or the Chief Minister would naturally invite suspicion, calling on visitors to follow protocol and respect the dignity of the office. His remarks came in direct response to Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar's allegation that such glasses were used in a suspected sting operation targeting him and Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan.

Kharge's Warning on Covert Recordings

Kharge said covert video recordings and sting operations had become a growing concern in political circles. 'A lot of people come and meet ministers. Quite naturally, CBI and IT are also being misused. Very clearly, I had mentioned earlier that they have now started doing these covert videos or sting operations,' he said.

The minister stressed that wearing camera-equipped eyewear without disclosing it to a senior official was unethical. 'You might have Meta glasses or whatever for your eyesight. But if it has a camera, quite naturally there will be doubts,' he said, adding that visitors owed courtesy and respect to the office they were entering.

Congress Leaders Allegedly Visible in Videos

Reacting to Congress MLC Yathindra Siddaramaiah's claim that some Congress leaders were allegedly involved in the sting operation, Kharge said the footage itself was revealing. 'That is very evident in the video itself. In all videos, there are faces visible who belong to the party. They cannot deny it, but it is a very clear case of extortion. It is a very clear case of blackmail, and we are investigating. Sooner or later, everything will be out,' he said.

This is a notable admission — acknowledging that party members appear in the footage even as the government frames the episode primarily as a hostile sting. The investigation is ongoing, and Kharge expressed confidence that further details would surface as the probe progresses.

What Shivakumar Alleged

Chief Minister Shivakumar, in a recent interview with a prominent Kannada television channel, said an industrialist who had obtained an appointment through government officials arrived wearing Meta AI smart glasses and appeared to be recording their conversation. Shivakumar said he grew suspicious when the visitor steered the discussion away from business toward political strategy, including booth-level management.

'He should have spoken to me about business, but he started discussing politics. He explained how booth-level strategies worked and spoke about what they were doing and other political matters. He went on explaining things like a political psephologist. I looked at his face and became suspicious. I then noticed his spectacles, which raised further doubts,' Shivakumar said.

Shivakumar added that the industrialist eventually took him to an antechamber and opened a laptop, further deepening his suspicion. He subsequently directed officials to conduct a background check on the individual.

Pattern of Selective Use Raises Concern

The background check, according to Shivakumar, revealed a telling pattern: the industrialist had worn the Meta smart glasses during meetings with him and Kerala CM Satheesan, but reportedly did not wear them during meetings with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, a Union Minister, and an IT Minister. Critics argue this selective use points to a targeted operation rather than casual use of a personal device.

The episode has reignited a broader debate in India about protocol for accessing senior government officials and the ease with which consumer-grade surveillance technology — such as Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses — can be used covertly in high-security settings. As the investigation deepens, questions are likely to grow about how such devices pass routine security checks at ministerial offices.