Former Karnataka Chief Minister and Congress Working Committee (CWC) member Siddaramaiah on Friday, 23 October publicly named a journalist and Krupa Alva of Mangaluru — identified as a Congress leader — as the individuals allegedly behind a sting operation, calling it a deliberate conspiracy to blackmail him and damage his political reputation through false allegations.

What Siddaramaiah Said

Speaking to reporters at the Suttur branch mutt in Mysuru, Siddaramaiah — who has already filed a police complaint in the case — said the matter came to his attention in September this year. 'A journalist and Krupa Alva of Mangaluru have joined hands to carry out this operation. I voluntarily lodged a complaint with the police so that the truth would come out before the public. There is no substance in the allegations, and they are completely far from the truth,' he said.

He added that he had approached the court to prevent the spread of false allegations and a smear campaign against him. Siddaramaiah maintained that no such incidents had occurred during his tenure and that he had never faced such 'baseless allegations' in his long political career. 'I have committed no wrongdoing. Since I have done nothing wrong, I do not need anyone's moral support, nor is there any need for anyone to stand by me,' he said.

Son Yathindra Points to Internal Congress Hand

The case had appeared to lose momentum over the preceding two to three days before taking a sharp new turn when Karnataka Minister for Urban Development Yathindra Siddaramaiah — the former Chief Minister's son — alleged on Friday morning that insiders within the Congress had orchestrated the sting operation. Yathindra said the operation was aimed at tarnishing his father's image, destroying his 40-year political legacy, and blackmailing him.

'This sting operation has been carried out to tarnish his image, destroy his legacy and blackmail him. Of course, the video indicates the involvement of our own party leaders and a media head. The investigation should establish whether they did it themselves or whether someone else asked them to do it,' Yathindra said. He clarified he did not suspect any specific individual and called on the investigation to establish the facts.

The Congress Leader Angle

When pressed on the alleged involvement of Congress figures, Yathindra referred to a woman leader whose participation was reportedly indicated in the video. According to him, she had reportedly spoken about seeking a Congress ticket to contest from the Puttur Assembly constituency. 'Prima facie, it appears that the sting operation may have been carried out for that reason. But we cannot say that the entire party conspired against us just because one party worker was involved,' he said.

On the Investigation and Political Fallout

Siddaramaiah expressed full confidence in the government's probe, explicitly ruling out the need for a Special Investigation Team (SIT) or any high-level inquiry. 'Only after the investigation will it be known whether people from within our own party or those from the Opposition were involved. I have complete faith in the government's investigation. There is no need for an SIT or any other high-level probe,' he said.

Taking a pointed swipe at those seeking political capital from the controversy, Siddaramaiah said certain individuals were 'making statements for political gains' and were 'free to continue doing so.' He maintained the conspiracy would not succeed in achieving its intended objective. The development significantly complicates the internal dynamics of the Karnataka Congress, where the party is already navigating tensions between competing factions ahead of future electoral cycles.