Priyank Kharge alleges attempt to use ED, I-T agencies against Congress leaders in KPSC case in Karnataka

Karnataka’s Home Minister Priyank Kharge made the allegation in a post on X. | Photo Credit: ARUN KULKARNI Karnataka’s Home Minister Priyank Kharge has alleged that a Union Minister is pressuring the Centre to use the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Income Tax Department against him and his Cabinet colleagues on the pretext of an investigation into the alleged irregularities in recruitment by the KPSC.In a post on X, Mr. Kharge alleged that the Union Minister is attempting to use the agencies to implicate Congress leaders in the KPSC recruitment case. He accused what he described as the RSS’s ‘newest Group D recruit’ of trying to pressure all the accused through the ED to falsely name Congress leaders and him in the case.Whispers in Delhi's corridors of power is that a Union Minister is desperately pressuring Modi Sarkar to weaponise the IT and ED against my Cabinet colleagues and me, using the KPSC investigation as political cover. The RSS's newest Group D recruit is also reportedly attempting to use the ED to pressure all accused to falsely implicate Congress leaders and me in the KPSC recruitment case. It appears the "extremely hard working" Hon'ble Minister is not prepared to go down alone. In his desperation, he seems determined to drag his own coalition partners down with him.— Priyank Kharge / ಪ್ರಿಯಾಂಕ್ ಖರ್ಗೆ (@PriyankKharge) November 2, 2026The allegations come amid a political controversy over Karnataka’s Central Crime Branch (CCB), probing the alleged sting operation video targeting former chief minister Siddaramaiah, finding a link to Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy’s official residence in New Delhi. Investigators found that the mobile phone allegedly used to upload the fabricated sting video was handed over to the arrested accused, Ritesh Pandey, at Mr. Kumaraswamy’s official residence in the national capital, according to Bengaluru Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh.In the X post, Mr. Kharge claimed that the Union Minister was acting out of fear of being implicated and was seeking to drag his coalition partner into the controversy. He did not name the Union Minister in the post. Published - November 02, 2026 11:21 am IST