Bengaluru: Just days after the telephone tapping scandal, in which fingers were pointed at former CM H.D. Kumaraswamy’s involvement broke out, Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa on Sunday said he had decided to seek a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the phone tapping, adding that he was doing this on the demand of several leaders including CLP leader Siddaramaiah whose phone was also allegedly tapped.
Soon after the fall of the 14-month-old Congress-JD(S) coalition government in July, disqualified JD(S) MLA A.H. Vishwa-nath had dropped a bombshell accusing Mr Kumar-aswamy of getting the phones of senior politicians Mr Siddaramaiah, Mr Yediyurappa and the 17 disqualified rebel Congress and JD(S) lawmakers tapped through the state police.
The tapping scandal has also taken ties between the coalition partners, the Congress and the JD(S), to a new low. It angered Congress leaders who wanted a fair probe into the scandal as they were upset over the alleged tapping of phones of Congress MLAs and media adviser to Mr Siddaramaiah.
Though, initially, the CM didn’t show much interest in ordering an inquiry because of the ramifications with political bigwigs involved, he was virtually ‘forced’ to refer it to the CBI as per the directions of BJP national leaders, said sources.
