D.K. Shivakumar has no role in honey-trap cases, claims Congress MLC Yathindra Siddaramaiah

When it was brought his notice that there is speculation that MLAs supporting Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had been targeted in the honey-trapping instances, Mr. Yathindra referred to the reported attempts on even BJP MLAs and wondered if it meant that the saffron party legislators too are backing Mr. Siddaramaiah.

Congress MLC Yathindra Siddaramaiah claimed that Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar has no role in the alleged cases of honey-trapping.

Speaking to reporters in Mysuru on March 26, Mr. Yathindra, who is also the son of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, sought to make it clear that neither Co-operation Minister K. N. Rajanna, who raised the issue in the recent legislature session, nor any Congress leader had named the person, or persons, behind the cases of honey-trapping.

When it was brought his notice that there is speculation that MLAs supporting Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had been targeted in the honey-trapping instances, Mr. Yathindra referred to the reported attempts on even BJP MLAs and wondered if it meant that the saffron party legislators too are backing Mr. Siddaramaiah.

He also pointed out that Mr. Rajanna had not claimed that he had become a victim of honey-trapping. He has said that an attempt had been made on him in this regard.

With regard to BJP’s allegations regard honey-trapping instances in Karnataka, Mr. Yathindra said the saffron party leaders had no moral right to talk about honey-trapping as 17 MLAs of their party had secured an injunction from a court against the release of some videos in the media when the BJP was in power.

Such honey-trapping instances had been reported even during the BJP regime, he claimed. Hence, a probe should be conducted to bring out the truth so that the persons behind the honey-trapping instances are not allowed to blackmail people.

Mr. Yathindra expressed concern over the misuse of technology to blackmail people. Politicians receive several calls every day and they have to take calls even from people they do not know, he said while pointing out that video calls can be recorded and misused using Artificial Intelligence (AI).