Bengaluru: In an attempt to turn the tables on the Bharatiya Janata Party, which had alleged that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had made payoffs to the Congress top brass, the ruling party in the state has alleged that Union Minister Ananth Kumar and BJP State President B.S. Yeddyurappa have made a ‘confession’ about giving money to the BJP central leadership and sought a judicial inquiry into the issue.
The private conversation between the two leaders is said to have taken place during the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Core Committee meeting in the city on Sunday, while Union Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda was addressing the meeting.
Releasing the CD, where the conversation is barely audible, Congress spokesperson V.S. Ugrappa said there was a conspiracy to defame the state government by targeting Mr Siddaramaiah over the payoffs. “We had said that the previous BJP government in Karnataka had looted over Rs 1 lakh crore through illegal mining and corruption. In the CS, Mr Ananth Kumar advises Mr Yeddyurappa to keep the Rs 1000 crore allegation alive till the elections. They were conspiring to defame Siddaramaiah during the elections. Besides, they confessed that they had given money to the Bharatiya Janata Party’s central leadership when in power. If Prime Minister Narendra Modi is committed to his fight against corruption, he should moot an inquiry by a sitting judge of the Supreme Court into the issue,” Mr Ugrappa said.
When asked if both allegations made by the Bharatiya Janata Party and Congress on payoffs, should come under the purview of the judicial inquiry, Mr Ugrappa said that there was nothing to prove that money was paid to the Congress high command.
The judicial inquiry should focus on the confession made in the conversation between Yeddyurappa and Ananth Kumar, Mr Ugrappa said.
What’s in this audio CD?
Ananth Kumar: “The CMs statement is like saying, they have given, so I have also given.”
B.S. Yeddyurappa: He He He
Ananth Kumar: “It seems you have given to high command, I have also given, but not Rs 1,000 crore.” (Both laugh)
Ananth Kumar: “You gave that time, so these people are also giving it seems.” (Both laugh)
Ananth Kumar: “That means, they have admitted.”
BSY: “But, will anyone write down the given?” (laughs)
Ananth Kumar: (Laughs loudly)
Ananth Kumar: “If you throw stone at slush, it will stick. No one will agree that CM has not given Rs 1000 crore. Everyone believes he has given money.”
BSY: “Let the diary come out”
Ananth Kumar: Till election, let him keep giving replies.
BJP: It’s fabricated recording
Stung by an alleged CD recording of a conversation between Bharatiya Janata Party’s state unit president B.S. Yeddyurappa and Union minister Ananth Kumar on payoffs made to the BJP high command, the saffron party has accused the Congress of fabricating the recording.
BSY revelation
Speaking to reporters, BJP spokesperson G. Madhusudhan said Congress leaders are worried after BJP’s state unit president B.S. Yeddyurappa’s revelation about the diary entry made by Congress MLC Govindaraju on payoffs made by Mr Siddaramaiah to the Congress high command.
To divert attention from the issue, they had fabricated a CD in which Ananth Kumar and Yeddyurappa are in conversation and without presenting the full text of the conversation, they had come out with an edited version of the CD, Mr Madhusudhan claimed.
According to the Bharatiya Janata Party leader, in the CD, Mr Kumar is explaining to Mr Yeddyurappa what Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had told him.
The five ministers who addressed a press conference on Monday, had twisted the conversation to make it convenient for them.
“It is very clear that the Chief Minister is involved in corrupt practices and many cases are coming out one after the other. To hush up the cases, Congress leaders are doing this,” he said.
