Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Aug 30: Former chief minister of Karnataka, leader of the opposition and state BJP president, B S Yeddyurappa, said that telephones of several top leaders including those of himself and former chief minister, Siddaramaiah, are being tapped. Responding to the allegation, chief minister, Kumaraswamy, offered to take immediate action if Yeddyurappa can provide even an iota of proof.

Kumaraswamy said that BJP government is ruling the country and therefore BJP leaders have the opportunity to meet Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, and get a probe ordered to find out whose telephone numbers are being tapped.

Speaking to media persons at Ramanagara on Wednesday August 29, Kumaraswamy felt that the BJP leaders seem to have made the allegation keeping in mind what they did when BJP was in power in the state. He said that he and others in the government are not interested in overhearing telephonic conversations of leaders. He offered to take action if proof, even if it is small, comes forth.

At the same time, deputy chief minister and home minister, Dr G Parameshwar, asserted that the state government has not been tapping telephones of any of the individuals. He dismissed allegation made by Yeddyurappa as false.

"Only details of telephone numbers of those persons who are indulging in illegal activities are verified or monitored. But calls made or received by politicians are never tracked. We do not come to know if call details are verified for investigation by officials," he clarified.

Yeddyurappa however asked the state government to put a stop to telephone tapping with immediate effect. He demanded it to order an investigation into tapping of telephones belonging to him and several other leaders in the state. He also cautioned the chief minister that otherwise history of the Karnataka government headed by Ramakrishna Hegde in the past crumbling on the issue of telephone tapping will repeat itself.