Powerful Individuals Want to Trap Me, My Father in Honeytrap Case: Karnataka Minister Rajendra Rajanna

Bengaluru: Congress MLC Rajendra Rajanna, son of Karnataka Minister KN Rajanna on Saturday responded to allegations of a honey trap attempt, alleging that powerful individuals attempted to trap him and his father in a scandal. He claimed that there have been multiple attempts to trap both him and his father in different ways.

Rajendra Rajanna to Meet CM, Submit Evidence

Rajendra Rajanna said that he would meet Chief Minister Siddaramaiah at 6 PM to formally submit a complaint regarding the alleged conspiracy. 

He claimed that multiple attempts had been made to frame both him and his father, warning that such incidents should not happen to anyone.

"I have all the necessary evidence and will present it to the Chief Minister," Rajendra Rajanna stated. 

He added, "If I am asked to file an official complaint, I will do so, but if this matter needs to be stopped at this stage, I am also willing to comply. However, a proper investigation must be conducted to uncover the truth."

BJP MLAs Suspended Amid Assembly Chaos

The Karnataka Assembly witnessed a massive uproar on Friday as 18 BJP MLAs were suspended for six months for disrupting proceedings. 

The suspension, proposed by Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H.K. Patil, was passed by Speaker U.T. Khader under Rule 348 of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly’s Rules of Procedure.

After the ruling, the suspended MLAs were evicted from the Assembly, but they resisted, leading to heated arguments with marshals and further disorder in the House.

Honeytrap Scandal Shakes Karnataka Politics

The Karnataka government has launched a high-level investigation into allegations that 48 MLAs have been victims of honey traps over the past 20 years.

BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal raised concerns in the Assembly, alleging that organized gangs were systematically targeting politicians. Responding to the claims, Minister K.N. Rajanna revealed that he was personally targeted in a honeytrap attempt.

Also Read: JAC Seeks 25-Year Freeze on Parliamentary Constituency, Adopts Resolution

‘48 MLAs Have Been Victims of Honey Traps’

Rajanna earlier stated, "There is talk that a minister from Tumkuru has been a victim of a honey trap. There are only two of us from Tumkuru—one is me, and the other is the Home Minister."

He further added, "This is not a new issue. A total of 48 members are said to have been victims. Many have obtained a stay order from the High Court. This problem exists on both sides and now my name is also being dragged in."

Pen Drive Scandal & Allegations of Blackmail

Earlier this week, Rajanna alleged that character assassination was carried out using pen drives, with politicians across party lines discussing the issue.

He claimed that politicians like Ramesh Jarkiholi, Revanna, and Prajwal Revanna had obtained stay orders regarding the controversial pen drives. "A total of 48 pen drives have been prepared in connection with this case. This blackmail must come to an end," he stressed.

Following Rajanna’s statement, Home Minister G. Parameshwara assured the Assembly that a formal investigation would be launched.

Earlier, Public Works Development Minister Satish Jarkiholi had also stated that two ministers in the current government had been targeted in honey-trapping attempts.

Previous Honeytrap Scandals in Karnataka Politics

The honeytrap controversy is not new in Karnataka politics. In 2021, BJP Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi was forced to resign after allegedly being honey-trapped. The woman involved filed a rape case, which is still pending in court. However, an SIT investigation suggested that it might have been a case of honey trapping rather than rape.