Bengaluru, Oct 13 (IANS) Former Minister and Congress MLA K.N. Rajanna on Tuesday said that those behind the controversial CD involving former Karnataka Minister and BJP leader Ramesh Jarkiholi were also responsible for the video allegedly targeting former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
Rajanna’s remarks came after Siddaramaiah, a Congress Working Committee member, approached a Bengaluru court seeking an injunction against the circulation and broadcast of allegedly defamatory audio and video clips linked to a reported sting operation.
Speaking to the media in Bengaluru, Rajanna, a close associate of Siddaramaiah, said, “You tell us who was behind Ramesh Jarkiholi’s CD? Those who got his CD done have got Siddaramaiah’s as well.”
The controversy has revived political speculation over the alleged involvement of Shivakumar in the 2021 release of a purported CD, involving Jarkiholi, who resigned as a minister in the then-BJP government following the controversy. However, Rajanna’s remarks did not establish any evidence of Shivakumar’s involvement in the current episode.
Rajanna also claimed that an attempt had been made to conduct a sting operation against him when he was a minister in the previous Siddaramaiah-led cabinet.
“Such an attempt was made against me as well. They tried to carry out a sting operation against me. Since it was a government residence, I assumed that CCTV cameras would have been installed for security. However, I later came to know that no CCTV cameras had been installed,” he said.
It can be noted that this development occurred amid reported differences between Rajanna and Shivakumar in 2025. Rajanna had stated that he was ready to become Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President, the post held by Shivakumar then. He had also demanded that a Dalit be made the Chief Minister in the event of a change in state leadership of Siddaramaiah.
Describing the current alleged sting operations as a form of blackmail, Rajanna urged CM Shivakumar to clarify the matter and ensure a proper investigation.
“The Chief Minister has all the investigative agencies under him. He should clear the confusion among the people. With this, the state’s honour has suffered a severe dent. We are losing our honour and dignity by ourselves,” he said.
Questioning the Chief Minister’s response to the controversy, Rajanna said, “How can the CM himself talk like a helpless person? If a probe is conducted and everything is made public, this sting mafia will stop at this stage.”
Rajanna alleged that there was effectively one network in Karnataka involved in producing and releasing CDs and conducting sting operations, although the people involved might differ.
“There is only one factory in the state for making and releasing CDs and carrying out sting operations. But the partners are different,” he said.
Referring to Siddaramaiah’s court petition, Rajanna said the video was not new but an old one. He added that the possibility of a sting operation being used to pressure Siddaramaiah into resigning could not be ruled out, while describing the matter in terms of rumours and suspicions.
He also urged the media to question those producing such videos about their motives.
Rajanna further said the Congress high command had discussed a reported arrangement under which two Chief Ministers would serve terms of two-and-a-half years each. However, he said he did not know whether Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar had agreed to such an arrangement. “Based on this, Siddaramaiah was asked to step down, not because of any allegations,” Rajanna maintained.
–IANS
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