Ready to face even international-level probe: Kumaraswamy on phone tapping

Dakshin Kannada: Former Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Sunday said he was ready to face any investigation into the alleged phone tapping case which will now be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

'I am ready to face any investigation into the telephone taping issue. Let there be an international-level enquiry on phone taping charges against me," Kumaraswamy told reporters in Belthangady town here.

Kumaraswamy also alleged that he was being targeted by regional electronic media channels.

He said: "There is false propaganda by electronic media in which they will not be successful. I have not done anything."

The ex-Chief Minister's comments came after his successor BS Yediyurappa's announcement on Sunday morning that the case will be handed over to the CBI.

The allegations of illegal phone tapping against HD Kumaraswamy initially stormed in after rebel JD(S) and Congress MLAs, who were later disqualified from their respective parties, claimed that the former chief minister got their phones tapped.

Former JD (S) state president A H Vishwanath, one of the dissenters, alleged that around 300 personal phones of leaders, including senior Congress leader Siddaramiah, were tapped.

Earlier in the day, Yediyurappa said that the phone tapping case filed during the previous Congress-JD(S) government will be handed over to the CBI as many prominent leaders, including Siddaramaiah, had demanded a probe into the matter.

"The phone tapping case filed during the previous government will be handed over to the CBI as many leaders including Congress legislative party leader (Siddaramaiah) have demanded a probe in this issue. People of Karnataka also want to know the truth so I have ordered to handover the case to the CBI," Yediyurappa told media persons here.