Karnataka chief minister DK Shivakumar has alleged that an industrialist who met him wearing Meta smart glasses was attempting to record a political conversation as part of a sting operation targeting him and Kerala chief minister VD Satheesan, both Congress leaders.
He alleged that the information gathered showed the industrialist had also worn the glasses during a meeting with Satheesan , but not during meetings with Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu , Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis or a Union minister. Shivakumar did not name the industrialist or provide evidence establishing that the glasses were used to record either meeting.
Shivakumar said the visitor had obtained an appointment through officials and initially discussed business before turning to politics, including booth-level strategies and political developments. The glasses, he said, made him suspicious. Shivakumar told a Kannada broadcaster that he asked officials to examine the visitor’s background. “He wore the Meta glasses only when he came to me and VD Satheesan,” Shivakumar said. He said authorities had taken precautionary measures but were withholding details.
His remarks in an interview with Kannada broadcaster Asianet Suvarna News have added a fresh twist to the political controversy surrounding alleged sting operations in Karnataka.
He said he also cautioned his cabinet colleagues against attempts to entrap them through people working around them, telephone calls or other means. “As the head of the government, which is like a family, I have to tell the Cabinet ministers to be conscious and not get fooled,” he said. He said he subsequently asked officials to gather information about the visitor’s background, movements and meetings with other political leaders.
Earlier reporting noted: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has alleged that an attempt was made to carry out a sting operation on him and Kerala Chief Minister VD Satheesan, both Congress leaders, but not on chief ministers belonging to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) or its National Democratic Alliance (NDA) allies. Earlier reporting noted: Shivakumar claimed that an industrialist who came to meet him was wearing Meta smart glasses, raising his suspicions about a possible attempt to record their conversation. Earlier reporting noted: The allegations come amid an escalating political row over purported sting-operation videos linked to former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, with the Congress and opposition parties trading accusations over who was behind the recordings and their political motives.
The allegation comes as the Congress in Karnataka and opposition parties are locked in a dispute over purported sting operation videos involving former chief minister Siddaramaiah. The parties have exchanged allegations over the origin and purpose of the recordings.
