After a brief gap of one year, Karnataka politics is once again filled with chatter of phone tapping. Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President D. K. Shivakumar on Friday started a new political slugfest by alleging his phones were being tapped. He said that he was aware of central agencies watching him but now he suspects his phone is being tapped as well. “I am suspecting that my phone is being tapped; I am not able to talk properly,” said the KPCC President.
Not stopping at that, D K Shivakumar officially complained to Bengaluru City Police Commissioner Kamal Pant. “From the past 2-3 days, I have noticed several differences in the incoming and outgoing calls on my phone numbers, the voice isn’t clear.” said his complaint. On Thursday, he had accused the Police Commissioner of “getting influenced by BJP minister” in the DJ Halli riots investigation.
Interestingly, exactly a year ago the state had witnessed massive uproar over phone tapping charges. It all started with a purported audio recording of a telephone conversation between an accused in a Ponzi scam and the then Bengaluru Police Commissioner Bhaskar Rao was leaked to the media. In the clip the IPS officer is heard lobbying for the Commissioner’s post. Chief Minister Yediyurappa had then alleged that phones of over 300 politicians and their associates and relatives were tapped by the former Congress-JD(S) coalition government.