Shettar accuses CM of undermining Speaker’s dignity

Former chief minister and senior BJP leader Jagadish Shettar on Thursday accused the coalition government of conspiring to corner the political rivals by using the audio clip.

Speaking to reporters here, Shettar said, “Recording the conversation between two persons amounts to phone tapping, which according to the Supreme Court is a violation of Article 21. The then chief minister Ramakrishna Hegde had resigned owning moral responsibility for tapping the telephonic conversations between Ajit Singh and H D Deve Gowda, and telephones of other prominent politicians. Here, Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy has committed a similar offence by orchestrating the conversation between B S Yeddyurappa and Sharanagouda, son of Gurmitkal MLA K Naganagouda, and recording it to further his political interests.”

“Before making the audio clip public, the chief minister should have first submitted the tape, in which the Speaker’s name was said to have mentioned, to the presiding officer of the House.

“But Kumaraswamy, in a hurriedly organised press conference, made the purported conversation public thereby bringing the Speaker’s post into disrepute,” Shettar said

The chief minister’s conduct has marred the dignity and sanctity of the Constitutional post, he added.