Phone tapping case will be handed over to CBI: Yediyurappa

Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Sunday said that the phone tapping case filed during the previous (HD Kumaraswamy) government will be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) as many leaders have demanded a probe into the matter.

"The phone tapping case filed during the previous government will be handed over to the CBI as many leaders including Congress legislative party leader (Siddaramaiah) have demanded a probe in this issue. People of Karnataka also want to know the truth so I have ordered to handover the case to the CBI," Yediyurappa told media persons here.

The allegations of illegal phone tapping against HD Kumaraswamy initially stormed in after rebel JD(S) and Congress MLAs, who were later disqualified from their respective parties, claimed that the former chief minister got their phones tapped.

Reportedly, former state president of JD(S), AH Vishwanath, who was also among the dissenters, alleged that around 300 personal phones of leaders, including senior Congress leader S Siddaramiah, were tapped by Kumaraswamy. However, the ex-CM has denied all the allegations.

"I have always asserted that the CM's post is not permanent. To retain such a seat, I had no need to opt for phone tapping. The allegations made against me, by some in this regard, is far from the truth," Kumaraswamy had tweeted.

Yediyurappa further talked about Cabinet expansion and said it would take place on Tuesday afternoon.

Asked if the BJP Legislature Party (LP) meeting will be held tomorrow, he said: "There will be no meeting for now, it will be conducted after 3-4 days.