CBI to probe charges of phone-tapping: CM

While former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy said he was ready for a probe by even an “international agency”, his alliance partner the Congress, however, seemed to be a divided house.

Days after charges of phone tapping during the state’s government’s previous JD(S)-Congress coalition government surfaced, Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa on Sunday said he will order a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the allegations.

Congress leaders, including Siddaramaiah, M Mallikarjuna Kharge , had sought a probe into the allegation. (HT image)

While former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy said he was ready for a probe by even an “international agency”, his alliance partner the Congress, however, seemed to be a divided house.

“On the telephone tapping issue. Several leaders, including Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah, have said it should be probed and truth should come out, so I have decided to order a CBI probe. Tomorrow itself I will order the probe,” Yediyurappa said.

He also said it was the expectation of the people of the state that a detailed inquiry should be made and the culprits punished.

Yediyurappa’s announcement comes amid signs that the allegation was gaining political steam ever since disqualified JD(S) MLA AH Vishwanath, last week accused the Kumaraswamy government of tapping phones and spying on more than 300 people, including him. Congress leaders, including Siddaramaiah, M Mallikarjuna Kharge , had sought a probe into the allegation.

Siddaramaiah welcomed the CBI probe but cautioned the BJP against using the agency for “political vendetta”. “I welcome the decision of @BSYBJP to hand over the phone tapping case to CBI. But in the past @BJP4India has used CBI as its puppet to unleash its venomous political vendetta. Hope @BJP4Karnataka leaders does not have similar intentions this time,” he tweeted.