Bengaluru, March 24 The Karnataka government is engaged in phone tapping of opposition leaders as well as ministers and leaders within its own party, alleged Leader of the Opposition in Legislative Assembly R. Ashoka.
He said that the internal power struggle for the Chief Minister’s post within the Congress has intensified and that by November, there will be a significant political development in the state.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru on Monday, Ashoka said that the phones of leaders, regardless of their party affiliation, have been systematically tapped ever since Chief Minister Siddaramaiah took charge.
“This is happening 100 per cent for sure,” he claimed.
Referring to the alleged honey trap attempt on Minister K.N. Rajanna, he said: “If they wanted to send a team, they would need information about the whereabouts of the minister. That means they inevitably had to carry out phone tapping. This government is involved in phone tapping.”
“We spoke about this three months ago. Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy had also stated that the ruling party was engaged in phone tapping. They want to eliminate their opponents - whether in the opposition or within their own party. Even now, phone tapping is happening,” Ashoka alleged.
He further claimed that his own phone was also being tapped. “My phone has been tapped for the past two years,” he stated in response to a question.
When asked why he had not filed a complaint with the Home Minister, he replied, “What’s the use of filing a complaint with the Home Minister?”
Ashoka also stated that the BJP had raised the issue of the honey trap attempt on Minister Rajanna after a note regarding the matter was sent. “They had also spoken with the Speaker. Minister Rajanna’s son made a statement about it. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge rushed to Bengaluru to discuss the issue,” he claimed.
He claimed that no one has a clue about what is happening within the ruling Congress party, adding that factionalism has escalated.
“After Minister Rajanna’s statement, there has been no further news about the honey trap case. Rajanna’s son, a Congress MLC, had stated that he had taken permission from Siddaramaiah. Now, it is clear who is orchestrating this drama. Different factions within the Congress are at war over positions,” Ashoka further claimed.
He also took a dig at Congress President Kharge, questioning his statement about inquiring about the Chief Minister’s health. “Who will believe that Kharge simply came to inquire about Siddaramaiah’s health, when he has been seen in a wheelchair for over a month? Siddaramaiah has already started walking,” he remarked sarcastically.
Ashoka reiterated his allegations that the government is tapping the phones of key leaders. "Even ruling party MLAs have spoken about it. The government is doing this to suppress opposition leaders. There is no doubt about it," he concluded.
Reacting to the allegations, Home Minister G. Parameshwara said that the Police Department had not received any complaints so far.
“The government and intelligence agencies can conduct phone tapping under special provisions. However, we have not received any complaints. After these allegations were made, I verified with the officials. If a complaint is registered at any police station and the allegations are proven, action will be taken immediately. As Home Minister, I do not have direct access to such information,” he said.
Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar also dismissed the allegations, saying that the government has not engaged in phone tapping.
“If there is any such issue, let them file a police complaint, and we will take appropriate action,” the Deputy Chief Minister said.
Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor