Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy on Friday released an audio recording of an alleged conversation between leader of opposition B.S. Yeddyurappa and JDS MLA Naganagouda Kandkur's son Sharanagouda, where the former offered Rs 25 crore to the latter to resign to help the BJP topple the JDS-Congress coalition government.
The drama unfolded on Friday morning as the chief minister called an emergency press meet at his official residence 'Krishna', just hours before he was to deliver the budget speech in the assembly. Kumaraswamy alleged that Yeddyurappa had tried to lure his MLAs as part of the 'Operation Lotus'. He dared Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take action against his party leaders for “demolishing democracy”.
"Modi who preaches to the country about democracy is encouraging his party men to demolish democracy by luring and intimidating the ruling party MLAs. Will Modi show his real face? He stands exposed by his own men today," said Kumaraswamy. He also claimed that Yeddyurappa had also boasted of support from the speaker, Modi, Amit Shah, and the Supreme Court, too.
"Yeddyurappa who met Sharan at the circuit house in Devadurga in Raichur on Thursday night offered him Rs 25 crore to convince his father to resign. He also promised to fund Sharan's re-election, an important portfolio and to make him the district in-charge of Yadgir. Yeddyurappa claimed that the speaker would accept the resignation as they had paid him Rs 50 crore and if the cases go before the Supreme Court, he assured that Modi and Shah would manage the judges," alleged Kumaraswamy, who slammed the BJP for its attempts to destabilise the coalition.
"The BJP disrupted the governor's address and now they are threatening to disrupt the budget speech, too. If Yeddyurappa, a senior leader with more experience, feels my government has no majority, let him move a no confidence motion," dared Kumaraswamy.
The CM stated that the budget was no joke. "It is a constitutional obligation of the government to seek budget approval before March 31. If we don't, the salaries will be held back, none of the programmes can be taken up. It is to protect the interests of 6.5 crore people of the state. How can the BJP behave this way? They show disrespect to the governor and democracy too," he said.
"What happened to demonetisation? Is the BJP buying the MLAs with white money or black money?" charged the CM.
Sharan, who was present during the meet said that Yeddyurappa had summoned him to the circuit house at Devadurga on Thursday midnight. "I did not intend to trap anyone. But after I got calls from Devadurga MLA and BJP leaders, I decided to meet them. I alerted Kumaraswamy as my family has been a Devegowda family loyalists for three generations now. When I reached Devadurga, MLA Shivanagouda Nayak, Preetam Gowda and a reporter were there. They asked me to go to Mumbai and that Vijayendra, Yeddyurappa's son, would pay the money. They also promised to fund my election and to give me a good portfolio and promised to make me the Yadgir district minister. They told me 11 other MLAs were with them. They told me that the speaker was booked by them for Rs 50 crore. I agreed to discuss with my father and left," claims Sharan.
Kumaraswamy accused the BJP of using intimidation and bribes to influence the MLAs and accused of him of keeping them in a Mumbai hotel. "Who is paying the hotel bills? I know BJP leaders Dr Ashwathnarayan, Yogishwar, Santosh and Nelamangala Nagaraj atr all in the hotel. MLA from Lambani community and Devanand Chouhan from Nagthan are intimidated. Maharashtra CM's name has also been mentioned in the audio. I will order a probe if need be, but the voice in the audio is that of Yeddyurappa," said Kumaraswamy, releasing the audio recording at the press meet.
A few minutes later, Yeddyurappa, addressing a scheduled press meet at Vidhana Soudha rubbished Kumaraswamy's charges. "It is a fake audio. Kumaraswamy is from the film industry and he knows how to fabricate such recordings. If he can prove the allegations made against me, I will quit politics within 24 hours," declared Yeddyurappa, who maintained that he had visited a temple in Devadurga.
“If Kumaraswamy's MLAs are not with him, it is his problem. He should not hold the BJP responsible for it,” mocked Yeddyurappa.
"The CM says the BJP is trying to topple the coalition. But his cabinet colleagues Sa Ra Mahesh and C.S. Puttaraju claim that BJP MLAs are with them. Who is luring the legislators? We protested during the governor's address as the government does not have the support of its legislators. At least 20 Congress legislators have refused to accept Kumaraswamy as their leader. For the last eight months no development has taken place. The CM promised to waive Rs 48,000 crore but has till now cleared only Rs 1,611 crore. Drought relief in 156 taluks, irrigation projects, MNERGA payments have been stalled for want of money. This is an irresponsible government that enjoys no majority. You can be sure, even today many Congress legislators will skip the budget session," claimed Yeddyurappa.
Back in the assembly, the BJP members created ruckus in the House before staging a walkout even as Kumaraswamy began to read the budget speech. They staged a protest in front of Kengal Hanumanthaiah statue in Vidhana Soudha complex.
