There have been allegations that over 48 political officials, including key personalities, have been the victims of this type of political entrapment, which began as rumors of a Karnataka minister being honey-trapped and quickly grew into a serious problem.
There were heated debates in the legislature as Karnataka Cooperative Minister KN Rajanna acknowledged that at least 48 lawmakers, including central heavyweights, had fallen for honey traps. He urged a high-level investigation into the situation, claiming that it was not limited to just one party.
He said, “As per my knowledge, about 48 people have fallen victim to these CDs and pen drives, not just one or two. And when I say ‘one’, I don’t mean only those on my side,” he said, gesturing towards his party colleagues, “they (gesturing towards the Opposition) are also involved.” “Respected Speaker, Karnataka has been called a factory of CDs and pen drives – not by me, but by many people. This is a serious accusation. There are reports that two powerful ministers from Tumakuru have been caught in a honey trap. Now, I am one of the ministers from Tumakuru, and the other is Dr Parameshwara – just the two of us. Many stories are emerging. If I respond to it here, it won’t be appropriate,” Rajanna said in the assembly.
He also demanded a thorough investigation and stated that he will submit a written complaint to the Home Minister. “Who are the producers behind this? Who are the directors involved? Let all of it come out. The people must know,” he said.
MLC Rajendra, Rajanna’s son, also spoke up on the matter, claiming that efforts to set up honey traps for politicians had been going on for the previous six months. “The Cabinet Minister has already given a statement that there should be an investigation. I think the Home Minister will investigate this.” Explaining the honey trapping process, Rajendra said, “They will call on WhatsApp, or a message will be there. For the past six months this has been happening. So for the last two months they’ve been trying to track this. Let the investigation be complete.”
Sathish Jarkiholi, the minister of the public works department, has previously acknowledged that a Karnataka minister had been the target of two unsuccessful honey trap attempts. He claimed that certain people are exploiting honey trapping as a political investment and that it is not a recent practice in the state.
“Yes, there was an attempt at honey trapping a minister, and it happened twice. However, the attempts were not successful. Honey trapping in Karnataka is not something new. There is no need for such activities in politics, but a few are using this as their investment. This must come to an end,” Jarkiholi said. “We have asked the minister involved to file a complaint. Only by filing a police complaint can we learn why these activities are happening. If they file a complaint, we will find out who is behind it. We will discuss this with the Chief Minister and the Home Minister. It is not just limited to our party; it happens in all parties,” he added.
However, DK Shivakumar, the deputy chief minister, responded cautiously. “I do not know if anybody has been arrested. Let the investigation be done. I request the Home Minister to give them protection as per law,” he had said earlier in the day.
However, Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara said he had not heard of the accusations and would check with the relevant authorities. “I will ask for some information from the department. So far, nobody has told us anything. I do not know all these things. I will come to know only when the department informs us. There might be many speculations going on, but I will ask the department to give some information,” he said.
Sunil Kumar expressed support for Minister Rajanna and urged the assembly to continue its procedures till a meaningful discussion on the honey trap claims was held as the topic proceeded in the legislature. “We stand by Minister Rajanna. He himself said this trap has happened to around 40 people. Let the assembly run till midnight. The Home Minister is here; let him take it seriously. We need answers. We are with Minister Rajanna today. How can someone honey trap a minister?” he said.
R Ashoka, the leader of the opposition, encouraged the government to take the case seriously and insisted that a sitting judge look into it. “Let a honey trap case be investigated by a sitting judge. We need to take it seriously. Let the Home Minister announce what kind of investigation he will conduct,” he said.
MLC and senior BJP leader CT Ravi also demanded a separate investigation into the situation. “Sathish Jarkiholi, a senior and prominent minister, has made these claims, which means there is truth in them. Who is behind these honey trap attempts, and who is funding them? The allegation is not coming from a common man or the media but from a Congress minister. Because of this, I request the Chief Minister to investigate and enforce a special squad for the same purpose to find out the details. The opposition cannot ignore this. There should be an investigation into this complaint, and it cannot be dismissed easily,” Ravi said.
Concerns were voiced by BJP MLA Sunil Kumar, who questioned whether the incidences were the fault of the government. “We are all in public life. For two days, there has been news of honey traps within the government. Can people not live with respect in society? Is the government not responsible? Just to defeat your opponent outside and within your party, can anyone stoop to any level? If the government itself is running a honey trap factory, who is going to preach to them?” he asked.
According to sources, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s office has been notified of the problem. On Wednesday morning, the victim minister reportedly met with the chief minister and expressed vocally his displeasure at being singled out. Sources claim that the minister denounced the honey trap attempt and informed the chief minister that he was being singled out for criticism for speaking out within the government.
