Bengaluru: Pointing to repeated reference to charges against him over the controversial audio tapes, Karnataka assembly speaker Ramesh Kumar on Tuesday said, his “situation was like that of a rape victim, as they too are supposedly questioned about the incident repeatedly.”
The Speaker made the statement during the discussions in the assembly over the Special Investigation Team probe into the audio clip row. Karnataka has been embroiled in a political war over charges of horse-trading and it escalated when Kumaraswamy released two audio clips.
Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy had recently released two audio clips purportedly of BJP leader B S Yeddyurappa trying to lure JD(S) MLA Nagan Gouda, claiming the party was trying to topple his government and it was being done with the knowledge of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He had recently told reporters that he would take the case suo motu in the Assembly and will get the inquiry done. “We will not let any street urchin speak like this about the Speaker and others. Yeddyurappa did not say it. Obviously, someone in that moment said so,” sais Kumar.
Following this, the Karnataka BJP unit on Sunday filed a complaint with the Vidhana Soudha police station that the audio clip released by Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy was fabricated, created and truncated.
Yeddyurappa had dismissed the claim by the Chief Minister that he had spoken in the audio about a ‘Rs 50 crore’ offer to the assembly speaker and said he was ready for any inquiry. He further claimed that the Chief Minister had sent the MLA’s son to him and it was true that he had spoken to Sharan Gouda, but only a part of the audio was released.
Ramesh Kumar adviced Kumaraswamy to announce a comprehensive SIT probe into the audio clip on Monday as his name has also been dragged with the charge that he had been booked for Rs 50 crore. He called for a meeting of floor leaders today to resolve the issue.
However, the BJP opposed the setting of SIT, saying it could be used for political vengeance. Yeddyurappa pointed out the opinion of the opposition was not considered before deciding on the investigation agency to inquire into the case. “SIT is being imposed upon us forcefully,” he charged.
Several BJP members, including Yeddyurappa, demanded a probe by house committee or judicial inquiry into the matter. Kumaraswamy had said that during the purported conversation that there was a mention about a “Rs 50 crore offer to book” the Speaker to give a ruling in favour of MLAs who might resign to help the BJP bring down his government.
Former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar alleged that Kumaraswamy was behind the audio conversation as he was the one who sent Sharan Gouda, son of the MLA Naganagouda, who was being lured and he also heard the conversation between the two individuals via a conference call. “So the CM is the offender, he is the first accused in the case,” he said.
The discussion on the issue is on for the second consecutive day in the Assembly and both the ruling Congress-JD(S) coalition and opposition BJP refused to budge from their positions. Subsequently the Speaker adjourned the assembly to Wednesday and said Let us discuss and try to find a solution.