BENGALURU: Former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy, who is accused of indulging in illegal phone-tapping during his tenure as the CM, has said his name was being unnecessarily dragged into the controversy.
He has also said he was deeply hurt by the allegation that he was involved in tapping the phone of Nirmalananda Swami, an influential Vokkaliga seer.
“Nirmalananda Swami gave me moral strength and guided me in my social works. He had even prayed for me to Kalabhairaveshwara. How can I have any doubt?,” the former CM stated in a series of tweets on Sunday refuting the allegations made against him by the BJP.
The illegal phone-tapping issue is currently being probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the agency has so far questioned several officers, including senior IPS officer and former Bengaluru City Police Commissioner Alok Kumar.
“Reports on tapping swamji’s phone during my tenure and political leaders statements have caused me unbearable pain. Those (reports) may have upset swamiji and that has caused me more pain,” the former CM said.
Kumaraswamy said Revenue Minister R Ashoka has apologised for no reason. “I don’t know why Ashoka apologised and what he will gain by doing so. I feel pity for him,” he said.
BJP ministers, including Ashoka, and DyCM C N Ashwath Narayan, have hit out at the former CM over the issue.
Ashwath Narayan said all the details will come out in the open after the probe and people will get to know how the coalition government functioned. He also said that the former CM will have to face action for illegal phone tapping.
On Sunday, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa’s son and BJP Yuva Morcha general secretary B Y Vijayendra slammed the former CM for including the swamiji’s name in the “smugglers list” for tapping his phone. “ It is an unpardonable crime and he must apologise to the seer,” the BJP leader said.