BJP accuses govt of phone tapping

The Karnataka Assembly on Wednesday witnessed chaotic scenes after the BJP accused the Congress government of “tapping phones” at Lok Bhavan, after Minister H K Patil claimed that Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot was getting calls from Delhi and functioning under instructions of the Centre.

BJP MLAs called the Siddaramaiah-led government a “phone tapping government”, and questioned how the state ministers were accessing information on the phone calls received by the Lok Bhavan and the governor. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah denied that the government was tapping phones as alleged by the opposition.

The issue cropped up during the debate on motion of thanks to the governor’s address to the joint sitting of the state legislature. Gehlot on January 22 had refused to read the state-prepared address to a joint session of the state legislature and concluded his customary speech in just three lines, evoking a sharp reaction from the Congress government in the state.

The Governor had refused to deliver the customary address to the Karnataka legislature, taking exception to certain critical references to the Centre and its decision to “repeal” the UPA-era employment guarantee act, MGNREGA.

Intervening during the debate on motion of thanks on Wednesday, BJP MLA Suresh Kumar hit out at the government for allegedly disrespecting and making unnecessary allegations against Governor Gehlot.

He pointed out that in the past too Governors have placed their address on the table of the Assembly, without reading it completely during the joint session.

Citing records, he pointed out that the then Governor Hansraj Bhardwaj in January 2011 (when BJP was in power in the state) had tabled his address to the joint session of state legislature to be taken as read, following the then leader of opposition Siddaramaiah urging him not to read the speech as the then “BJP government was corrupt”.

While responding to this, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Patil alleged that the current Governor is getting instructions over calls from Delhi. “Following calls from Delhi the Governor did not read the full speech, we will also have to speak about it now, as you spoke about the earlier incident (involving then Governor Bhardwaj).”

Strongly reacting to this Suresh Kumar said, the Law Minister was making a serious allegation. “Is the government tapping the Raj Bhavan (Lok Bhavan) phones, to know about the Governor getting calls from Delhi.”

As several BJP members stood in support of Kumar and questioned whether the government was tapping Lok Bhavan phones, things turned chaotic in the Assembly.

Another BJP MLA Sunil Kumar said the Law Minister has accepted that the government was tapping the Lok Bhavan phones. “How can this be tolerated? This is the second time the law minister has said this in the House. Is phone tapping happening,” he asked.

IT/BT Minister Priyank Kharge, coming to the defence of Patil, said the latter was only alleging that the governor was acting like a “puppet in the hands of the central government”.

However, BJP members demanded that the Law Minister give an explanation about his statement that has raised serious doubts whether the state government was tapping the Lok Bhavan’s phones.

Kharge even went a step ahead and alleged that the Governor was getting calls from Keshava Krupa (RSS Karnataka State Headquarters). To this BJP members said Congress gets calls from Italy.

Following this Sunil Kumar and other BJP members alleged that the state government has stooped to the level of tapping the Governor’s phone. “The Law Minister has repeatedly said that the Governor was getting a call from Delhi. How did they know? if they have records, let them place it in the House.”

He further said that both Kharge and Patil seem to be involved in the Lok Bhavan phone tapping.Senior BJP MLAs Suresh Kumar, Sunil Kumar and others sticking to the issue accused the government of tapping the Lok Bhavan’s phones and the Governor and called it a “phone tapping government.”

Leader of Opposition R Ashoka too seconded the allegations of phone tapping. Responding, Patil asked why there is no clarification either from the Governor or the centre till now, as he had made allegations about Gehlot getting calls from the centre, for the first time last week.

“What is the Home Ministry doing in Delhi? Should they not at least issue a press note saying that there is no communication between the Governor and Home Ministry,” he asked.

As the heated argument and chaos continued, Speaker U T Khader adjourned the House for lunch. When the House met post lunch the issue continued to rock the proceedings, despite Chief Minister Siddaramaiah clarifying that the government has not and will not tap anyone’s phone, and that Patil’s statement was only an inference. “Our government will not tap anyone’s phone, whether it is those from opposition or the ruling

party,” he said.