Siddaramaiah Alleges Blackmail Plot Behind Video Controversy

New Delhi, November 2: Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who is also a member of the Congress Working Committee, met AICC General Secretary K.C. Venugopal in New Delhi on Monday. The meeting took place as a controversy over an alleged sting operation involving him continues to escalate.

The former chief minister may also meet Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha. He is expected to inform the party leadership about the latest turn of events.

He is also likely to discuss whether some people within the Congress could be part of the sting operation. Siddaramaiah has already talked about the matter with his close circle.

He had earlier hinted that he had filed a complaint over the sting operation and said the way the probe is being handled is not right.

Several Karnataka Congress leaders were present with him during the Delhi meeting with Venugopal.

The sting controversy has created a political uproar in Karnataka. The Central Crime Branch (CCB) is examining the alleged sting, the viral video, and the circumstances under which it was recorded.

Siddaramaiah has termed the sting a well-planned blackmail conspiracy. He named a journalist and Krupa Alva of Mangaluru, saying he feels these people are involved. His statement has deepened the dispute, which has now reached the national political arena, with accusations that certain Congress members may also be linked to it.

He said that no such allegations were ever raised against him during his tenure as Chief Minister or during his long political career. He accused some unknown people of using blackmail as a political weapon and stressed that he had done nothing wrong.

According to him, the video circulating on social media, which makes claims of sexual exploitation relating to an incident in 2011, is entirely baseless. He called it a malicious political campaign meant to malign his image.

Siddaramaiah has submitted a formal complaint to the Bengaluru City Police Commissioner and demanded a fair and transparent investigation to expose the true culprits behind the fabricated case.

He has also approached the Bengaluru City Civil and Sessions Court for a stay order that would stop newspapers, television channels and social media platforms from publishing or broadcasting the unverified video.