Audio tape: Cong lodges complaint with police

The Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) has filed a complaint with the Bengaluru city police commissioner against former chief minister B S Yedyurappa and BJP leader Sriramulu over ‘operation Kamala,’ in which the BJP leaders reportedly attempted to poach 10 MLAs by offering them Rs 25 crore each.

In a complaint, Rizwan Arshad, MLC and chairman of the communication department, KPCC, said that, on December 3, there were reports telecast in the electronic media, with an audio clipping of 3.44 minutes, that reveals efforts to poach 10 MLAs belonging to the Congress.

MLAs Ramesh Jarkiholi, Sathish Jarkiholi, Anand Singh, Nagendra, Ganesh, Bheema Naik, B C Patil, Pratap Gouda Patil, were approached by Sriramulu’s PA and one of his friends, who is a businessman from Dubai.

The MLAs were told that they will be paid Rs 25 crore apart from the expenses towards the byelection being met, besides the offer of ministerial berth.

Yeddyurappa, Sriramulu and others were inducing the defection of Congress MLAs, it said. Sriramulu said in Hosapete that he had not made any effort to destabilise the government.

“Those in the coalition government are spreading the rumours,” he charged.

He said the government should order a probe and take action. “There is no meaning in levelling allegations sitting in Bengaluru,” he said.

BJP leader Jagadish Shettar said no leader from BJP was engaged in Operation Lotus. However, he said BJP will come to power if the coalition government collapses.