Janata Dal (Secular) leader and Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy on Wednesday accused the Karnataka government of harassing members of his party’s social media team after he raised questions over an alleged honey-trap conspiracy involving senior Congress leaders.
In a post on X, Kumaraswamy said he would not be intimidated for questioning the alleged conspiracy and claimed that the government was targeting young members of the JD(S) social media team instead of responding to the issues he had raised.
Allegations of police harassment
According to the Union Minister, a man named Shankar, who is associated with the party’s social media team, was detained by the police despite not being named in any case. He also alleged that another team member and his family members had been harassed by the police.
“Why are these young people being targeted, and under what authority?” Kumaraswamy asked.
He further alleged that the person accused of carrying out the sting operation and recording footage allegedly intended to malign former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had not faced similar scrutiny, while those questioning the episode were being pursued.
“This raises serious questions about the government’s priorities,” he said.
Kumaraswamy demands CBI probe
Kumaraswamy said he was the one who had raised the issue and demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the alleged honey-trap conspiracy. He maintained that the questions surrounding the episode should be addressed through a fair and impartial inquiry rather than through alleged pressure on party workers and their families.
“If the government has the courage to respond, let them respond to the questions posed by me,” he said, adding that the JD(S) would challenge any alleged unjustified harassment through legal and political means.
Claims remain unverified
The allegations were made by Kumaraswamy in his post on X. The claims regarding police action and harassment were not independently established in the information available.
