Bengaluru, Oct 15 (IANS) The political row over the alleged sting operation has intensified in Karnataka, with Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel and JD(S) state president H.D. Kumaraswamy daring Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and Home Minister Priyank Kharge to arrest him, while accusing them of misusing the police and state machinery to target him.
Addressing a press conference on Thursday, Kumaraswamy demanded a probe headed by a retired judge into the alleged sting operation and challenged the state government to conduct a fair investigation. He said a CBI probe was not necessary, and insisted that the inquiry be conducted under the supervision of a sitting judge.
“Mr Shivakumar and Priyank Kharge, if you have the courage, conduct a probe under a retired judge. I am speaking bravely and am not a coward like you. Do you think I will get scared? You have said that I would be taken into custody if there was an element of suspicion. Dare to touch me. The agitation will begin, and I will see who all you can touch,” he said.
Kumaraswamy said he would cooperate with the investigation if his party workers had committed any wrongdoing. He added that he was even prepared to visit the Bengaluru Police Commissioner’s office and ask the police to arrest him if there was evidence against him.
“I will support you if they have made mistakes. I will come forward myself. But you cannot misuse your power and the police to play political games. You do not deserve respect. Do you have a conscience?” he asked.
Apologising to the public for his language, Kumaraswamy said he had never stooped to such a level while addressing a press conference, but maintained that the state’s interests were at stake.
He also warned the police against arresting innocent party workers, particularly as courts would remain closed for five to six days from Friday. He urged police officers not to protect those allegedly issuing threats and demanded that any action against his party workers be based on evidence.
Kumaraswamy alleged that he had received information two days earlier that the person believed to be the original source of the sting operation had met Shivakumar to discuss implicating him in the case by obtaining a statement under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
He accused the Chief Minister of attempting to send him to jail and compared the alleged move to the case involving former minister and JD(S) MLA H.D. Revanna. It can be noted that Revanna is Kumaraswamy’s brother and the father of convicted JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna.
“I am not Revanna. You called a woman, obtained a false statement from her and sent him (Revanna) to jail for five days. Do you think you can do the same to me?” he asked.
Kumaraswamy also questioned the conduct of the ongoing investigation, alleging that police personnel had detained a youth associated with his party’s war room without serving a notice, taken away his mobile phone and kept him at a shed-like location until 8 p.m. He claimed that the youth was not even allowed to speak to his wife.
He alleged that another war room worker had been contacted over the phone and questioned, and challenged the police to examine the mobile phones of the Chief Minister and his personal assistant as part of the investigation.
“If you collect all this information and then claim that Kumaraswamy is behind the sting operation, what kind of investigation is this?” he asked.
Kumaraswamy also questioned Priyank Kharge over an alleged audio clip involving the Chief Minister in the Prajwal Revanna case, asking why it had not been investigated. He accused the Congress leadership of applying different standards when allegations concerned its own leaders and when its political opponents were targeted.
Referring to the court proceedings initiated by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in connection with the circulation of the alleged sting operation video, Kumaraswamy said the matter had already entered the public domain. He referred to the pen drive and YouTube content submitted during the proceedings and argued that the material needed to be examined as part of a fair investigation.
He claimed that the voice in the video clip concerning Siddaramaiah was clear and questioned the Chief Minister’s alleged proximity to the person involved.
Kumaraswamy also said the Chief Minister and the Home Minister had accelerated the investigation since the previous day, allegedly acting on each other’s instructions.
–IANS
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