Karnataka Home Minister claims Union minister is pushing ED and IT against state officials in KPSC probe

Home Minister Priyank Kharge posted on X that a Union minister is urging the Centre to involve the Enforcement Directorate and the Income Tax Department against him and his cabinet over the Karnataka State Public Service Commission (KPSC) recruitment probe. He said the minister wants the agencies to name Congress leaders in the case, labeling the effort as pressure from the RSS's newest Group D recruit. Kharge added that rumors in Delhi suggest the Union minister is trying to turn the IT and ED into political tools, using the KPSC inquiry as a shield. He also noted that the senior minister seems ready to pull coalition partners into the controversy rather than face it alone. The claim comes as the Central Crime Branch investigates a fabricated sting video aimed at former chief minister Siddaramaiah. Investigators linked the phone used to upload the video to a hand‑over at Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy’s official residence in New Delhi, where it was given to accused Ritesh Pandey, police commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh said. Kharge did not name the Union minister in his post but implied fear of personal implication as the motive behind the pressure. The allegation adds another layer to ongoing tensions between the state government and the central leadership. ## Context The KPSC recruitment case has become a flashpoint in Karnataka politics, and the involvement of central agencies could shift the balance of power between state and union leaders.