Bengaluru, May 10 (IANS): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator and former Karnataka Cabinet minister Ramesh Jarkiholi on Wednesday claimed that state unit Congress president D.K. Shivakumar has "tried to threaten" him, saying "some CDs that could tarnish his reputation will be released".

Speaking to journalists at Gokak in Belagavi district, Jarkiholi said: "Till Tuesday night, Shivakumar tried to threaten me saying that he would release CDs that would malign my reputation. However, I told him that I am not afraid."

He, however, did not clarify whether Shivakumar had a direct conversation with him.

"Shivakumar was my good friend earlier, and he was good to me. I don't know what went wrong. He also said that he would release himself from the clutches of 'Vishkanya' but did not elaborate whom he was referring to," he added.

The former minister said that he would request the Union government and the new government (that would be formed in Karnataka) to order a CBI probe into the sleaze CD case in which he was accused.

The BJP leader said that this (the probe request) was not for his sake but for hundreds of people who are being targeted by the "CD gangs", and are victims of this gang.

It may be recalled that an activist had approached the Bengaluru Police in March 2021 seeking a probe against Ramesh Jarkiholi for allegedly abusing a woman and seeking sexual favours in return for a government job.

Clips of intimate moments reportedly between the minister and the woman had gone viral on social media platforms.