Congress targets Modi over audio tapes; want SC to act

Stepping up the pressure, Congress on Saturday targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi in connection with the audio tapes in which Karnataka BJP chief B S Yeddyurappa is purportedly heard offering bribes to the son of a JDS MLA to topple Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy.

Congress chief spokesman Randeep Surjewala termed as “scandalous” the purported offer made by Yeddyurappa that Modi and BJP President Amit Shah would be approached to “fix” the Supreme Court judges in case the Congress approached the apex court seeking action against the defecting MLAs.

He wanted the Supreme Court to take suo motu cognizance of the matter and take action.

“The infamous trio of Narendra Modi – Amit Shah- Yeddyurappa has an anathema to the Constitution and to Democracy per se. Blind lust for power through corrupt means supersedes all else for this mischievous ‘Gang of three’,” Surjewala said at a press conference with Venugopal and Karnataka Congress chief Dinesh Gundurao.

“What is the connection and confidence with which names of PM Narendra Modi and BJP President Shri Amit Shah being mentioned,” Surjewala asked.

He said the tapes have established a 'newest low' in the politics of corruption, bribery, allurement and were a sinister attempt to misuse the entire judiciary right upto the Supreme Court to bring down the elected Congress-JDS Government in Karnataka.

The Congress leaders wondered whether the monies purportedly offered to Karnataka MLAs were a result of kickbacks of some defence deal.