'He wanted us finished': Kumaraswamy alleges a Rs 600-crore plot to destroy his family

Union Minister and Janata Dal (Secular) leader HD Kumaraswamy has alleged that Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar was behind a purported Rs 600-crore contract to politically eliminate the family of former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, intensifying the political row over an alleged sting operation involving state leaders. Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Kumaraswamy accused Shivakumar of repeatedly conspiring against the Deve Gowda family and claimed the alleged deal was part of a broader effort to target them. "It is none other than the incumbent Chief Minister who ordered that our family be finished off. This Chief Minister has hatched several conspiracies to finish off our family. One among them is the Rs 600-crore supari (contract killing) deal," Kumaraswamy told reporters, according to medi reports. Kumaraswamy also called for a thorough investigation into the controversy surrounding an alleged sting operation involving former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, questioning the state government's handling of the matter. The JD(S) leader has claimed that Shivakumar used recordings from the alleged operation to influence the Congress leadership and push for a change in Karnataka's chief ministership. According to Kumaraswamy, the material was presented to the Congress high command to pressure Siddaramaiah into stepping down and clear the way for Shivakumar to take over. These claims remain unsubstantiated. The controversy gained further attention after Shivakumar reportedly warned Cabinet colleagues about possible sting operations targeting political leaders. The warning was followed by accusations over the origins of the alleged recordings and the individuals they were intended to target.