Now BJP, JD(S) leaders accuse CM of tapping their phones

Bengaluru, Mar 3: At a time when Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is trying to wriggle out of the watch controversy, the Opposition BJP and the JD(S) fired another salvo on Wednesday, by accusing him of phone-tapping.

JD(S) State president H.D. Kumaraswamy, who was the first to take on Mr. Siddaramaiah, alleged that his phones were under surveillance after he started tracing the origin of the expensive watch.

Earlier, the State government had been accused of tapping phones of D.V. Sadananda Gowda, the then Railway Minister, in 2014 through the State police. It was alleged that the Union Minister's phone was tapped following Mr. Siddaramaiah's instruction.

Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly Jagadish Shettar also accused Mr. Siddaramaiah of tapping phones.

Mr. Kumaraswamy told presspersons that he would have got details of persons who were pressurising Sudhakara Shetty — from whose residence a few expensive watches were stolen — if his phone had not been tapped.

Stating that the phones of many political leaders were under surveillance since the day the Congress came to power in the State, Mr. Kumaraswamy alleged that the surveillance intensified after he raised the watch issue in public. “Ghulam Nabi Azad, who was in charge of Karnataka in 2014, cautioned me against calling him from my official number,” he recalled.

“If this is the watch gifted by Girish Chandra Varma, the police have to locate the expensive watches stolen from Mr. Shetty's house,” he said, while suspecting that there was something fishy in the disclosure of Mr. Siddaramaiah.

Stating that the JD(S) would decide its future course of action after discussing with its legislators, Mr. Kumaraswamy said he would also hold talks with Mr. Shettar.

Comments

Our Karnataka MP's are so much busy in discussing watch and chaddi issues in parliament that they forgot how many farmers are dead.. Great issues.. NExt issue may b CM is WEARING JOCKEY CHADDI... good going guys..

Mad Kumaraswami should concentrate his efforts on solving problems of ordinary people rather then putting his nose on unimportant issues....let Chief minister wear one crore watch, who cares, people cared about work which he is carrying our for them....

Muq maafi...

Kumaraswamy want all two = two wives.

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Mangaluru’s ₹1,200 crore fix: Massive sewage overhaul to end city’s drainage woes

News Network

December 19,2025

Mangaluru: In a decisive move to tackle the city’s deteriorating sanitation infrastructure, the Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) has announced a massive ₹1,200 crore action plan to overhaul its underground drainage (UGD) network.

The initiative, spearheaded by Deputy Commissioner and MCC Administrator Darshan HV, aims to bridge "missing links" in the current system that have left residents grappling with overflowing sewage and environmental hazards.

The Breaking Point

The announcement follows a high-intensity phone-in session on Thursday, where the DC was flooded with grievances from frustrated citizens. Residents, including Savithri from Yekkur, described a harrowing reality: raw sewage from apartments leaking into stormwater drains, creating a "permanent stink" and turning residential zones into mosquito breeding grounds.

"We are facing immense difficulties due to the stench and the health risks. Local officials have remained silent until now," one resident reported during the session.

The Strategy: A Six-Year Vision

DC Darshan HV confirmed that the proposed plan is not a temporary patch but a comprehensive six-year roadmap designed to accommodate Mangaluru’s projected population growth. Key highlights of the plan include:

• Infrastructure Expansion: Laying additional pipelines to connect older neighborhoods to the main grid.

• STP Crackdown: Stricter enforcement of Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) regulations. While new apartments are required to have functional STPs, many older buildings lack them entirely, and several newer units are reportedly non-functional.

• Budgetary Push: The plan has already been discussed with the district in-charge minister and the Secretary of the Urban Development Department. It is slated for formal presentation in the upcoming state budget.

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