The Karnataka government Thursday said it will conduct a high-level probe into alleged instances of honey trapping of legislators. Home Minister G Parameshwara made the announcement in the Assembly after Congress minister K N Rajanna claimed he was the target of a honey-trapping attempt carried out by a young woman. The issue of honey trapping of legislators was raised by BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal who said there were rumours of many Congress ministers being targeted by organised gangs. Following Yatnal’s statement, Cooperation Minister K N Rajanna told the Assembly that he had been the target of a recent attempt at honey trapping. “It is not just leaders in the state but leaders at the national level cutting across parties who have been targeted. There needs to be an investigation,” Rajanna said, demanding the creation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to conduct a probe. Parameshwara, who was present in the House, responded by stating that the government would order a high-level probe into the allegations. Earlier in the day, Public Works Development Minister Satish Jarkiholi had stated that two ministers in the government had been the target of honey-trapping attempts. When asked by the media about attempts to honey trap Congress ministers, Karnataka Congress president and Deputy CM D K Shivakumar responded, “Let them file a police complaint.” In 2021, BJP minister Ramesh Jarkiholi was forced to quit as a minister after he was allegedly honey trapped by a gang. The woman in the incident filed a case of rape. The matter is still pending trial in court with an SIT indicating a case of honey trap and not one of rape. Jarkiholi had suggested after the incident that his rival Shivakumar was probably behind the incident. Congress minister K N Rajanna, who has now alleged being targeted by a honey trap gang, is incidentally one of the vocal opponents of the state Congress president. He has been demanding a change of the Congress president by citing the Congress policy of “one person, one post,” in an apparent reference to D K Shivakumar holding the posts of deputy CM, Bengaluru development minister, water resources minister, and state Congress president.
