R. Ashoka alleges cover up in sting probe

CH NEWS, BENGALURU Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka launched a blistering attack on the state administration, alleging that the police investigation into the recent high-profile "sting operation" is a mere eyewash designed to shield the actual masterminds while unfairly targeting peripheral participants who merely circulated the controversial footage. Addressing the media in Bengaluru, Ashoka remarked sarcastically that investigators are completely ignoring the "cooks" referring to the primary conspirators who engineered and executed the secret recording and are instead hunting down those who merely "served the meal" by sharing or uploading the videos. Expressing total distrust in the state police machinery, Ashoka claimed that directives to quietly bury the case and submit a clean report within a month have already been issued by the Congress high command, specifically pointing fingers at national leader K.C. Venugopal. He asserted that the unvarnished truth will only come to light if the entire matter is handed over to a court-monitored judicial inquiry or the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Weighing in on allied political controversies, Ashoka remarked that fellow opposition leader H.D. Kumaraswamy’s explosive allegation that a 600 crore-rupee financial deal was hatched to politically neutralize and finish off former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda’s family contains a strong core of truth, confirming that a deep-rooted conspiracy is indeed active. Turning to economic governance, Ashoka criticized the ruling administration's handling of mounting protests by sugarcane farmers, arguing that while agitating growers face severe distress, the Chief Minister remains dangerously preoccupied with internal factional power struggles, CD scandals, and efforts to sideline Siddaramaiah rather than convening timely tripartite talks between factory owners and cultivators. Ashoka also slammed the government's approach toward private sector employment, asserting that corporate companies feeling emboldened to overlook local Kannadigas simply mirror the ineffective, hollow posturing of Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar's leadership. He demanded immediate executive action rather than empty press statements. Furthermore, he condemned the Mysuru Dasara celebrations as a mismanaged "DKS Dasara" dominated by self-promotional photo-ops and protocol lapses that deeply offended the royal household.