Audio clip row over Yeddyurappa; BJP files complaint against HDK

Team Udayavani, Feb 11, 2019, 5:52 AM IST

Bengaluru: A complaint has been filed against Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy alleging that the audio clip released about state BJP Chief B S Yeddyurappa’s alleged bid to destabilise the coalition government was a fabricated, created and truncated one, the party said Sunday.

The complaint has been lodged with the Vidhana Soudha police station under various sections of IPC including 463 (Forgery) and 464 (Making a false document) among others, and the Information Technology Act, state BJP said.

After coming to know of the plot hatched by Kumaraswamy and his associates to tarnish the reputation of Yeddyurappa and BJP, M B Maramkal (Yeddyurappa’s associate) filed the criminal complaint, it said.

“We hope that the investigating agency would investigate into the matter and press criminal charges against Kumaraswamy and his associates and bring them to justice,” it said in a statement.

Facing turmoil in the ruling coalition that has cast a shadow over the stability of his government, Kumaraswamy had on Friday released the audio clip in which Yeddyurappa is purportedly trying to lure JDS MLA Naganagouda through his sonSharana Gouda.

Yeddyurappa, who is at the vortex of the row over his alleged bid to poach the ruling coalition MLAs for the past few weeks, was quick to dismiss the clip as fake and a concocted story.

He had on Friday dismissed the claim by the Chief Minister that he had spoken in the audio about a ‘Rs 50 crore’ offer to the assembly speaker.

Noting that subsequent to the event on Friday when the Chief Minister along with others held a press conference and released the audio clip, the BJP said it was found that the clip was a “fabricated, created and truncated one.” 

The making of the audio CD and the release of the same to media houses was part of the conspiracy hatched by Kumaraswamy who is presently facing severe trust deficit from the legislators of his party as well as the coalition partner being the Congress, the saffron party said.

Accusing Kumaraswamy of indulging in third-grade politics, Yeddyurappa Sunday said he was ready for any inquiry into the audio clip.

Pointing out that the Chief Minister has himself sent MLA’s son to him, the senior BJP leader said it was true that he spoke to Sharan Gouda, and charged Kumaraswamy with releasing only a part of the audio which he wanted.

On the other hand, Karnataka state youth Congress has also petitioned Sadashivanagar police here to book a case against Yeddyurappa on grounds of “corruption and allurement” with money to poach MLAs from ruling side with an intention to topple the coalition government.

Claiming that the audio tape of Yeddyurappa’s conversation with Sharan Gouda that has been released is an evidence, Youth Congress Vice President (Malleshwaram) Ashwin Gowda in a statement said, a complaint has been filed at Sadashivanagar police station here recently, under whose jurisdiction Yeddyurappa’s residence falls.