BJP exposed, says Kumaraswamy on CM's audio comments'

JDS leader H D Kumaraswamy on Saturday said the BJP as a party stood exposed by an audio clipping in which chief minister B S Yediyurappa purportedly is heard saying rebel Congress-JD(S) MLAs, who were later disqualified, were kept in Mumbai during the final days of the coalition government under the watch of BJP chief Amit Shah.

In the clipping that has gone viral, Yediyurappa has hit out at party leaders for lack of support in "saving" the BJP government and not recognising the "sacrifice" of disqualified Congress-JD(S) MLAs, because of whom they could come to power. Reacting to the comments, Kumaraswamy, who was then chief minister, said he has decided to file a petition in court based on the contents of the clipping. "We already decided whatever content is there, that we are going to file before the court," Kumaraswamy told reporters during a meet-the-press programme, organised by the press club of Bangalore.

READ: Leaked BS Yediyurappa video: Full transcript

He was referring to the case filed by the disqualified MLAs who have approached the Supreme Court against their disqualification by the then speaker K R Ramesh Kumar. These MLAs want to contest the bypolls on December 5. However, their disqualification has come in the way.

In the clipping, Yediyurappa can be heard expressing anguish at a recent party meeting in Hubballi over local party leaders opposition to giving tickets to disqualified Congress-JD(S) MLAs for the by-polls to15 assembly constituencies.

Commenting on the audio, Kumaraswamy said he will not demand any inquiry because he has reservations about the outcome.

"Any inquiry is not going to help. Based on whatever former Central Vigilance Commissioner N Vittal has written about the functioning of investigation agencies in his book, I am convinced that nothing will happen," Kumaraswamy added.

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Stating that the BJP as a party stood exposed after the video, Kumaraswamy said, "Now Yediyurappa himself has revealed the truth." The chief minister had been saying that he never tried to disturb the coalition government and it fell on its own, Kumaraswamy said.

"He (has now) stated that his own national president (Amit Shah) took these 15 MLAs, forced them to resign from the Assembly, kept them in Mumbai for two months only to instal the BJP government here," the former chief minister alleged.

On his recent statement in Belagavi that he did not want the present government to collapse, Kumaraswamy said he wanted the relief work in the flood-hit region to continue and any attempt to bring down the government will impact flood victims adversely.

He explained that his only contention was that if the government is destabilised, president's rule will be thrust on people making it difficult for the administration to carry out relief work and distribute compensation for the flood victims.

It will eventually aggravate the problem of farmers suicide, he claimed.

To a question, whether he would shake hands with the BJP for the people's sake to avoid mid-term elections, Kumaraswamy pointed out he has never said he will support the BJP.

"My point is I will respond to the peoples call. I will support those who fight for people's welfare," Kumaraswamy added.