BENGALURU: Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has said he would not speak on claims that Karnataka ministers and MLAs were targeted by honeytrap rackets, seeking to distance himself from an issue that has snowballed into a huge controversy.
During Thursday’s sitting of the assembly, Cooperation Minister KN Rajanna claimed that at least 48 MLAs, cutting across party lines, had been honeytrapped and that the network was spread across the country, with many Union ministers also caught in it.
Shivakumar said on Sunday that, as the Congress’ Karnataka unit chief, he spoke to Rajanna and asked him to lodge a complaint.
“I can’t explain what he told me. I asked him to lodge a complaint,” the deputy chief minister said.
Amid rumours that Rajanna and Public Works Minister Satish Jarkiholi were planning to visit Delhi to apprise the party high command about the honeytrap racket active in the state, Rajanna’s son Rajendra met Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
When reporters asked Shivakumar the reason behind the meeting, he said, “Anyone can meet anyone. Many MPs, MLAs, and even people meet the chief minister and me.”
He then said he would not reply on the honeytrap issue.
“Don’t ask me about that. I will not reply to anything concerning that issue,” Shivakumar said.
Asked if he was travelling to Delhi to discuss the latest developments with the party high command, the veteran leader said he did not need to meet anyone about such false news.
To a question of whether it was embarrassing for the Congress and the government for the honeytrap issue to be raised in the assembly, Shivakumar said, “Ask the chief minister about this.”
