Congress MLA accuses Jarkiholi CD conspirators of targeting Karnataka’s ex‑CM

Bengaluru, 13 Oct – Congress legislator K.N. Rajanna claimed Tuesday that the people who engineered the disputed CD of former minister Ramesh Jarkiholi are the same hands that prepared a video aimed at former chief minister Siddaramaiah. Rajanna made the allegation as Siddaramaiah’s party colleague approached a Bengaluru court to seek a restraining order on the circulation of alleged sting‑operation recordings.

“The Jarkiholi CD was created by a specific group; that identical group has now drafted the Siddaramaiah material,” Rajanna asserted, linking the two controversies.

The 2021 Jarkiholi CD controversy forced the BJP leader to quit his ministerial portfolio. While Rajanna’s statements revive the issue, there is currently no direct evidence connecting the same operatives to the newer video.

Rajanna further disclosed that he too was once a target of a sting attempt while serving in Siddaramaiah’s ministry, noting that a supposed CCTV system in his official residence was never installed, exposing the ploy.

He appealed for a comprehensive probe by the investigative bodies under the chief minister’s jurisdiction, emphasizing that the state’s prestige is being eroded by such covert operations.

The timing of the comments coincides with internal Congress dynamics; Rajanna previously indicated readiness to assume the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee presidency, a role then occupied by D.K. Shivakumar. He also insisted that any successor to Siddaramaiah should be drawn from the Dalit community.

Concluding, Rajanna described the CD‑making and sting‑operation framework in Karnataka as a single “factory” with changing collaborators, indicating a systemic issue rather than isolated incidents.