M B Patil joins chorus, denies charges

Congress leader and former minister M B Patil denied that he made a statement that his phones were tapped and had asked for the investigation.

Speaking to reporters in the town on Friday, Patil said, Shivakumar had misunderstood his words. It appears that he has resorted to caste politics and attract Vokkaligas by making statements in favour of Kumaraswamy and Devegowda, he said.

“During my tenure as home minister phones were not tapped. I spoke to senior police officials and few of them have denied and some said they could have been tapped. I had spoken the same before media, but Shivakumar telling that I am making politics is not fair and he cannot talk lightly about me. We both are in the same party and there’s no need for different standpoints" Patil stated.

Kumaraswamy is not a person who could resort to phone tapping. "I have never complained about it. A high-level committee of officials should investigate the matter and bring out the truth to the fore within three months," he said.