Former Karnataka CM Kumaraswamy denies phone tapping charge; BJP calls for probe
Former Karnataka JDS president AH Vishwanath alleged that his phone was tapped along with 300 other coalition leaders in Karnataka
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FollowBengaluru: Former Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy on Wednesday (August 14) denied allegations of phone tapping during his tenure, even as the BJP raised the pitch demanding a comprehensive probe into it.
"There was no need for me to intercept phone calls to save my government when I have repeatedly been saying the post of the chief minister is not forever. Allegations against me by some people is far from the truth," Kumaraswamy tweeted.
As the matter snowballed into a major controversy, chief minister BS Yediyurappa told reporters, "I am observing the developments. I will discuss with the chief secretary (TM Vijay Bhaskar) and think about further action."
On Wednesday, disqualified JD(S) MLA from Hunsur, AH Vishwanath who had served as the JD(S) state president and turned rebel later, accused the previous Congress-JD(S) government of tapping phones and spying on more than 300 leaders including him.
"My phone was tapped. I was among the 300 people whose phones were tapped," Vishwanath told PTI.
Vishwanath went on to claim that the matter had come to light six months ago when the Congress MLA HK Patil and BJP MLA R Ashoka had alleged that their phone calls were intercepted.
"It had started since then. They (the previous Congress-JDS coalition government) did not spare even some clerks," Vishwanath added, referring to the alleged phone tapping of some politicians, journalists and officials.
Vishwanath had rebelled against the JD(S) leadership, resigned from the post of state president and then from the Assembly.
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