Five days after alleging in the assembly that he and several other political leaders, cutting across party lines, had been honeytrapped, Karnataka cooperation minister K N Rajanna on Tuesday formally submitted a petition to home minister G Parameshwara, requesting legal action against those involved.
Clarifying his earlier remarks, Rajanna denied ever stating that judges were among the victims. “I had only mentioned politicians, not judges. I also said that several politicians had approached courts seeking injunctions. I was misquoted by BJP members,” Rajanna clarified. His statement follows a PIL filed in the Supreme Court by a Jharkhand-based advocate, seeking a CBI probe into the alleged incident.
Rajanna Submits Three-Page Petition
Rajanna met Parameshwara at his Sadashivanagar residence in Bengaluru and handed over a three-page petition detailing the sequence of events. However, Parameshwara, who had earlier assured a high-level inquiry, appeared evasive on Tuesday, citing procedural constraints. Since the issue was raised in the assembly, he emphasized that Speaker UT Khader, as custodian of the discussion, would need to provide assistance before initiating further action.
Reacting to this, Khader said, “I am not aware of the home minister’s statement, but if the points raised by Rajanna are considered property of the House, then the assurance given by the minister on the floor is also property of the House. I will look into the minister’s statement and discuss it,” he stated.
Parameshwara also clarified that Rajanna’s submission was a “representation” rather than a formal complaint, noting that any police action would require directives from Speaker Khader. He added that the state would not wait for the Supreme Court’s verdict on the PIL and would act independently after discussing the matter with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
Details of Alleged Honeytrap Attempt
Sharing details of the alleged honeytrap attempt, Rajanna said: “I was visited twice by a woman in my office in Bengaluru, accompanied by a man. She claimed to be a lawyer and wanted to discuss some issues with me in person.”
When questioned about the delay in filing a formal complaint, Rajanna cited prior commitments in Tumakuru, Kolar, and Bengaluru as the reason.
