The Congress high command has reportedly asked the Karnataka government to probe alleged attempts to conduct sting operations targeting Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and his Keralam counterpart V D Satheesan, party sources said on Friday.
The direction follows Shivakumar's claim that a businessman wearing Meta AI glasses recently met him under suspicious circumstances, which prompted him to suspect an attempt to record or spy on him. The businessman had also met Satheesan, he said.
During an interaction with a Kannada television channel recently, Shivakumar said the businessman had sought an appointment to discuss business but instead began talking about politics and electoral psephology.
"An officer had fixed an appointment for a businessman to meet me. He took me to the ante-chamber and opened his laptop," Shivakumar said, adding that the visitor spoke about political strategies and what could be done at individual polling booths instead of discussing his company or business. "He spoke to me like a psephologist," the CM said.
Also read: Himachal: Congress trying to take credit for Centre’s UDAN scheme, says BJP MP
"I grew suspicious of him, looking at his face and the glasses he was wearing, and I asked for an inquiry to be conducted on him and his background," he said.
Without naming the businessman, Shivakumar said, he wore Meta smart glasses during his meetings with him and Satheesan, but not when he met Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu or a Union minister or another Minister.
Also read: Congress a ‘parasite’, defaming India abroad: PM Modi hits out at Opposition amid anti-EC stir
Shivakumar also claimed that he had credible information about attempts to conduct sting operations on some of his Cabinet colleagues, and who all were engaged in it.
"At a Cabinet meeting, I advised my colleagues to be cautious. As the head of the family, I had to tell them to be cautious. I asked them not to fall for traps. What's wrong with that? I have all the documents. Let's not talk about it now. When the time comes, I will tell what needs to be told," he said.
Questioned about action against those who attempted to conduct a sting operation against him, Shivakumar said, "Who said action was not taken? We have not disclosed that; that's all. We have taken all precautionary measures."
The alleged sting operation issue first came to light after Shivakumar recently warned his Cabinet colleagues about attempts to trap them using sting operations.
The CM subsequently said that he knows exactly who is behind attempts to conduct a sting operation against him and his ministerial colleagues-and who is financing private agents to conspire against him.
Also read: Siddaramaiah's son blames Congress members amid sting operation row in Karnataka