Bengaluru, Oct 23: Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday termed the alleged sting operation targeting him as “totally concocted and false” and intended to blackmail him.
He demanded a fair investigation to bring out the truth and identify those behind it.
He said he had filed a complaint himself to ensure the truth came out and the public knew who was behind the alleged operation.
“I filed the complaint myself because the truth must come out. People should know who is behind this and that it is a false case,” he told reporters here.
He said he had also approached a civil court and obtained an injunction to prevent wider publicity of the matter.
Late last month, two videos containing serious allegations against Siddaramaiah were uploaded on YouTube. The two-time chief minister obtained an injunction barring the press from reporting on the videos. He has lodged a police complaint seeking an investigation.
Referring to the alleged sting video, Siddaramaiah named a woman political leader from Mangaluru, allegedly associated with the Congress party, and the head of a Kannada news channel as those reportedly behind it. He asserted that the allegations in the video had no basis.
“There is no truth in it. It is a totally concocted story. This is a false case,” he said.
The Congress leader said he learnt about the matter on September 26, after the video became viral, and maintained that the operation would not succeed in tarnishing his image.
“Even if someone tries to tarnish my image, people will not believe it,” he said.
Asked whether he had confidence in the ongoing investigation, Siddaramaiah said he did, but insisted that it must be conducted fairly.
“I have confidence in the investigation. It should be fair, and I will insist on a fair probe. My intention is that the truth should be known and come out,” he said.
He rejected the suggestion that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was necessary, saying the existing investigation should establish the facts.
“The investigation should find out who is behind this. Whether they belong to our party or another party must be established through the probe,” he said in response to a question.
Siddaramaiah said no such incident had occurred during his long political career, including his two terms as chief minister.
“I became a minister first in 1984, and nothing of this sort had happened from then until now. I served as chief minister twice for a total of eight years, and even then nothing like this happened. Now, after I have lost power, they have done this. Their objective will not succeed,” he said.
The former chief minister reiterated that the matter should be investigated impartially so that the facts emerge and those responsible are identified.
Responding to a question on JD(S) leader and Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy’s statement that he stands by Siddaramaiah on the issue, the former CM said, “Why do I need someone to stand by me. He may be saying, but there is no need for anyone to stand by me on this issue. People and the entire state should know the truth, and this is a false case.”
Kumaraswamy has publicly accused Chief Minister D K Shivakumar of using the ‘sting operation’ as leverage against Siddaramaiah to become the CM.
Asked whether he was saddened by the developments, Siddaramaiah said, “When no wrong has happened, why should I be worried or saddened. I know the truth. Nothing has happened; it is totally concocted”.
