Yeddyurappa claims he wasn’t present when comments on speaker were made

Bengaluru, Feb 13: The drama over the alleged poaching audio clip continued for the second consecutive day in the legislative assembly on Tuesday with both the opposition and ruling parties agreeing to a probe into the issue. However, both sides differed on the mode of inquiry.

While the BJP continued to press for a judicial probe or a House committee to inquire into the contents of the audio clip, the government said it cannot go back on the speaker KR Ramesh Kumar’s suggestion for a special investigation team to look into the issue. Finally, on the suggestion of opposition leader BS Yeddyurappa, the speaker decided to convene a meeting in his chambers on Wednesday to try and find a way to resolve the issue.

Earlier, Yeddyurappa presented his defence on the clip, in which he is heard trying to convince Sharanagouda, son of Gurmitkal JD(S) MLA Naganagouda Kandakur, to get his father to resign. Shivangouda Naik, a BJP MLA, is also party to the conversation. Yeddyurappa said he was “woken up from his sleep” at 12.30am and asked to meet Sharanagouda at the inspection bungalow in Devadurga.

“However, I reiterate that if it is proved I was present when anything was said that the speaker was paid Rs 50 crore during my conversation with the JD(S) MLA’s son, then I will quit politics,” Yeddyurappa said.

The former chief minister blamed chief minister HD Kumaraswamy for having defamed the speaker’s name by releasing the audio clip even before informing Kumar about the incident. “If you had an iota of respect for the chair, you would not have released the CD before speaking to the speaker,” Yeddyurappa said. He said Kumaraswamy was “accused No 1” in the incident and claimed the CM should have advised Sharangouda not to meet anyone as soon as the latter brought it to his notice.

“I believe Kumaraswamy is the main accused in the case as he has misrepresented the facts by editing the actual video of 40 minutes to only two minutes, releasing a fake audio and trying to use this fake audio for a political conspiracy,” Yeddyurappa said.

The opposition leader, who has been accused by the ruling coalition of attempting to topple the government, said Kumaraswamy was using the speaker to save his chair. “Already there is brewing dissidence in the Congress with more than 20 MLAs from that party having reinforced the view that they will not accept you as their CM,” he said.

Rebutting the charges levelled by Yeddyurappa, Kumaraswamy said even if he is the prime accused in the case then it has to be proved by an investigating agency. “As far editing of the clip goes, you (BJP) could not digest the two-minute audio, how will you digest the 40-minute audio?” asked a sarcastic Kumaraswamy.

Kumaraswamy accused the BJP of being senseless in trying to lure Kandakur as the latter was a family friend of the Deve Gowda family for the past 50 years.

On the accusations of Congress legislators having rejected his leadership as CM, Kumaraswamy said: “The bond between Siddaramaiah and the Congress MLAs is strong as they all worked under him over the last five years. Obviously, the MLAs’ loyalty lies with Siddaramaiah. There is no harm in that.”