Amid sting video row, why Shivakumar, Siddaramaiah rift returns to haunt Congress

Four months after D K Shivakumar took over as Chief Minister in Karnataka, the Congress party has been plagued by a controversy surrounding an alleged sting operation. Both Siddaramaiah, the former Chief Minister, and his son Yathindra, a Minister in Shivakumar's Cabinet, have vehemently denied the "fake sting video" which they claim was manufactured to damage the Congress leader's reputation.

The video, filmed by Power TV MD Rakesh Shetty in 2023, surfaced on social media and local TV channels recently. Shetty, who is reportedly close to Shivakumar, has been granted bail. Yathindra alleged that some Congress insiders were involved in the filming, pointing to a woman Congress worker who reportedly wanted the party ticket in the 2023 Assembly polls from Puttur.

Yathindra maintained that his father was upset by the incident. The Opposition BJP and JD(S) have exploited the controversy to fuel discontent within the Congress party, especially given the past link between Shivakumar and a sex sting operation. Kumaraswamy, the JD(S) leader, has called Shivakumar the "king of stings" in Karnataka and suggested that the Congress high command was misled in the sting operation.

Shivakumar also claimed to have been targeted for a suspected sting by an unidentified businessman who wore Meta glasses for a meeting. Kumaraswamy has backed Siddaramaiah, urging him to address the issue to prevent character assassination, and has threatened protests if his party workers are arrested in the case.