‘Pained’ by audio clip allegations, Karnataka Speaker orders probe

bengaluru — The Karnataka Assembly Speaker on Monday ordered an inquiry into an audio clip released by Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy last week to expose the BJP’s alleged attempts to lure a JD-S MLA, that mentioned his name.

In the clip, former chief minister and Bharatiya Janata Party leader B.S. Yeddyurappa allegedly mentioned Speaker K.R. Ramesh Kumar’s name while in conversation with Naganagouda Kandakur’s son, Sharanagouda, on February 7.

Playing the clip to the media here on February 8, Kumaraswamy and Sharanagouda alleged that Yeddyurappa agreed to pay an unspecified amount if Kandakur left the Janata Dal-Secular and joined the BJP.

“I have asked the chief minister to form a Special Committee to inquire into the contents of the audio tape in which my name was mentioned,” Kumar told the members, after Congress Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Krishna Byre Gowda raised it in the Lower House of the Assembly. Kumar also said the committee must submit its report in the next 15 days.

Sharanagouda also claimed Yeddyurappa told him that the Speaker could be booked by paying Rs500 million for not invoking the antidefection law against Kandakur in the event of his defecting to the BJP from the JD-S.

Terming the reference to him in the audio tape as disrespectful to the post of Speaker, Kumar said he was pained by his name being mentioned in the episode. —

Whichever MLA took my name in the audio tape must step out of politics or I should be out of politics

K.R. Ramesh Kumar, Karnataka Assembly Speaker