Government tapping our phones: Former Deputy CM to Siddaramaiah

Bengaluru: With only months to go before state assembly polls, former deputy chief minister, R. Ashok upped the ante by charging the Congress government with tapping telephones of senior political leaders across the political spectrum, and demanded a CBI or judicial probe in this regard.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and home minister R. Ramalinga Reddy have denied the accusation has any basis in fact.

Claiming that his information was 'very authentic', Mr Ashok said a retired police officer who was with the government was behind this. "To be specific, they are tapping the telephones of 162 people. All the 162 are not different people. What they are doing is: while tapping my phone, they also tap the telephones of my secretary and gunman too.      

Surprisingly, telephones of several Congress leaders, besides BJP and JD (S) leader -who reportedly dislike the chief minister are being tapped."

The CM and the home minister said the state government would not indulge in such act. "You know it is the Centre which does this," Mr Siddaramaiah said.

Mr Ashok countered by saying let there be a probe. "I demand a CBI probe. If I am proved wrong, people will shame me. I know what I am speaking. If the state has no confidence in the CBI, let it can order a judicial probe from a sitting high court judge," he said. Mr Ashok further reiterated that he got the tip from whistle blowers within the system so he knew he was not wrong on this allegation.