Will go for CBI probe into phone-tap charges during HDK govt: BSY

BENGALURU: Karnataka CM BS Yediyurappa on Sunday said that he would seek a CBI probe into allegations of phone-tapping during the tenure of the JD(S)-Congress coalition government headed by HD Kumaraswamy.
Rebel JD(S)-Congress MLAs, who were disqualified during the fall of that government, had alleged that their phones were being tapped even as hectic negotiations were on to get them to return to their respective parties.Former state JD(S) chief AH Viswanath had accused the HDK government of eavesdropping on over 300 leaders, including him. Several Congress members too had demanded a probe into the charges.
The controversy got a fresh lease of life earlier this month when an audio clip of a telephone conversation between Bengaluru city police commissioner Bhaskar Rao and an alleged power broker was leaked. Rao has ordered a police inquiry into the alleged telephone interception. Daggers were out as the CM said he was bringing the CBI in at the request of senior Congress member Siddaramaiah. “My government has decided to refer the case for a CBI probe as many Congress leaders including CLP leader Siddaramaiah, have said it should be probed. The order will be issued on Monday,” Yediyurappa said.
However, Kumaraswamy said he was not afraid of any probe. “They can refer the case to (US President) Donald Trump, if not CBI. No CBI or even an international agency can pinpoint that I have committed (any) crime,” he said, adding, “Yediyurappa has said he has referred the case to CBI at the behest of Siddaramaiah. I congratulate him on behalf of Siddaramaiah.”
There were allegations that Kumarswamy asked officials to tap the phones of the 17 rebel MLAs — 14 from Congress and three from JD(S) — who rebelled against coalition government and stayed at a Mumbai hotel for over a fortnight before the fall of the government.
"Whether former CM Kumaraswamy will be caught or not, I cannot say,” said Vishwanath, who quit JD(S) in June. “Let there be an inquiry into it. I have full confidence that CBI will conduct a detailed investigation and place the truth in front of the people of Karnataka.”