Union minister H.D. Kumaraswamy has accused Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar of using retired police officers and surveillance equipment to monitor conversations involving ministers and leaders of the ruling party, and has called for a CBI investigation into the allegations.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Kumaraswamy alleged that Shivakumar had identified a house in Sadashivanagar after becoming Chief Minister and installed advanced equipment there. He further claimed that four retired police officers had been deployed at the location to listen to conversations involving ministers and leaders of Shivakumar’s party.
The allegations were reported by Prajavani. The report did not include an independent confirmation of the alleged surveillance operation or a response from Shivakumar or the Karnataka government.
Kumaraswamy also referred to an alleged “undercover operation” involving Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. He said Siddaramaiah had reportedly obtained a court stay in connection with the matter and had himself called for an investigation to establish who conducted the operation. Kumaraswamy said he believed Siddaramaiah had not committed wrongdoing but argued that the Chief Minister should not have sought a stay, according to the report.
The Union minister alleged that several ministers were being subjected to undercover operations and said the matter should be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation. He added that his voice alone would not be enough and called on Siddaramaiah to speak out, arguing that the demand for an investigation would gain strength if the Chief Minister supported it.
Kumaraswamy framed the allegations as a wider institutional concern, saying that a senior political leader such as Siddaramaiah had been placed in a vulnerable position. He described Siddaramaiah as a major voice for communities associated with the AHINDA political grouping and said the developments indicated the condition to which the state was being pushed.
The allegation places the issue of phone surveillance within a broader question of how political and administrative power is exercised in Karnataka. If substantiated, unauthorised monitoring of ministers or legislators would raise questions about privacy, the use of state-linked resources and oversight of surveillance capabilities. However, the material supplied for this report does not establish whether any equipment was installed, whether monitoring took place or which agency, if any, was involved.
Kumaraswamy said he would soon meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah to bring the developments in Karnataka to the Centre’s notice. That proposed meeting is the next stated step in the matter, while the report does not provide details of any formal complaint, investigation order or court proceeding arising from the allegations.
