NEW DELHI: The Congress high command has directed the Karnataka government to investigate alleged attempts to conduct sting operations targeting chief minister D K Shivakumar and his Keralam counterpart V D Satheesan, party sources told PTI on Saturday.The direction follows Shivakumar’s recent claim that a businessman wearing Meta AI smart glasses met him under suspicious circumstances, prompting him to suspect that an attempt was being made to record or spy on him. The businessman had also met Satheesan, he said.Speaking to a Kannada television channel, 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.“I grew suspicious of him, looking at his face and glasses he was wearing, and I asked for an inquiry to be conducted on him and his background,” he said, as quoted by PTI.
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The alleged sting operation controversy came to light after Shivakumar recently warned his Cabinet colleagues about attempts to trap them through such operations.Meanwhile, Home Minister Priyank Kharge told reporters that wearing camera-equipped glasses or similar devices while meeting senior Cabinet ministers or the chief minister was unethical.“I am not sure in what context the CM made his statement. However, anyone meeting senior government dignitaries should follow certain protocols,” he said.This is not the first time Shivakumar has made such a claim. A fortnight ago, during a visit to Delhi, he alleged that an attempt had been made to sting him soon after he took over as chief minister. His remarks came a day after Union minister and JD(S) state president HD Kumaraswamy accused Shivakumar of being the “master” of sting operations and alleged that he had orchestrated a campaign to oust former chief minister Siddaramaiah.