Siddaramaiah takes sting row to Rahul Gandhi, alleges Congress insiders behind video

Former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah has told Rahul Gandhi that people inside the Congress are behind an alleged sting operation meant to tarnish his image, according to people close to the Kuruba leader. The two met for more than half an hour on Monday at 10 Janpath, the Delhi residence of Sonia Gandhi, after Siddaramaiah stayed on in the capital following Sunday's I.N.D.I.A. bloc rally at Ramlila Maidan.

According to those sources, Siddaramaiah accused a section of state Congress leaders of organising a fake and fabricated video. He was unhappy that the police, under a government his party now runs, were not pursuing the case with enough urgency to identify the people responsible or their motives. He also linked the video to the ruling party's recent loss in four Legislative Council seats, and described the episode as one of the worst blots on Karnataka's political record.

The sources said he warned that if attempts to damage him continued, he might take a hard line and keep away from campaigning in upcoming elections, particularly the 2028 Assembly polls. He reminded Rahul that he had stepped down as chief minister without delay when asked and had publicly said he would not contest the next election, choosing to work for the party instead. Rahul reportedly assured him that his concerns would be addressed.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Siddaramaiah said he had discussed state political developments and organisational matters with Rahul. Asked directly whether the sting issue had come up, he said it had not. He also said he was unaware of a claim by Bengaluru Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh that the mobile phone used to upload the sting videos had been handed over to a person at the Delhi residence of Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy. Before meeting Rahul, he also met K C Venugopal, the party's general secretary (organisation).

The row has been building for weeks. Last week Siddaramaiah publicly said some Congress leaders were involved and urged the police to get to the bottom of it. His son, Urban Development Minister Yatindra Siddaramaiah, has also demanded that those who carried out the sting be identified and punished, writing on X that the truth must come out and prevail. Earlier, KPCC chief B K Hariprasad called for action against those behind the operation.

Why it matters: the episode now sits at the intersection of a state government's credibility, an internal power struggle in the Congress, and the party's preparations for future polls. Siddaramaiah remains one of the party's most influential voices in Karnataka, so any move by him to step back from campaigning would be a visible setback. How quickly the police and party leadership act on the sting allegations will be closely watched.

Read the original report at Deccan Herald.

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