Phone tapping: Karnataka Congress demands probe as ruling BJP steps up attack on previous govt
Bengaluru, Aug 15: Several Congress leaders in Karnataka on Thursday sought a probe into allegations of phone tapping during the previous coalition government headed by H D Kumaraswamy in which they were partners, as the ruling BJP upped the ante on the matter.
Reacting to the issue, former Chief Minister and Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah told reporters: "Phone tapping, I don't know. Let them investigate, let them investigate and take action against the culprits."
"Phone tapping is a serious offence. Let there be an investigation on the issue & take action against those responsible, if proved," he later tweeted.
On Wednesday, disqualified JD(S) MLA from Hunsur, A H Vishwanath who had served as the JDS state president and turned rebel later,accused the previous Congress-JDS coalition government of tapping phones and spying on more than 300 leaders including him.
As the matter snowballed into a major controversy, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa had on Wednesday said, "I am observing the developments.I will discuss with the Chief Secretary (T M Vijay Bhaskar) and think about further action."
Kumaraswamy has denied allegations of phone tapping during his tenure.
"I was the one who kept repeating that that Chief Ministers position was not permanent. There was no need for me to remain in and save the chair (of CM) by tapping phones.
Allegations made against me by some people in this matter is far from truth," he had tweeted.
Many BJP leaders including former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar have directly accused Kumaraswamy.
"If the tapping has happened during Kumaraswamy's time you can understand how genuine he is. To cling to power and chair he has tapped phones of opponents, partner party leader Siddaramaiah and disgruntled MLAs," Shettar said.
"Those behind it, even if it is Kumaraswamy himself, action should be taken against them in accordance with law," he demanded.
Speaking to reporters in Mysuru on Thursday, Vishwanath sought a probe as he also indicated that phone tapping would not have happened without the knowledge of the then Chief Minister, without taking Kumaraswamy's name.
Senior Congress leader and Home Minister during the Kumaraswamy-led coalition government, M B Patil, said,he has come to know about the phone tapping allegations through the media and there was need to find the truth behind it.
"Some within the (Home) department told me it was not true, but some have said there was need to find out truth...
I demand and will also write to the Chief Minister to conduct a time bound inquiry.
If it is true, action should be taken against culprits," he said.
Pointing out that Ramakrishna Hegde had to resign as Chief Minister in the past following similar phone tapping allegations, veteran Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said government should immediately probe and find who was behind it and why it was done.
Hitting out at the BJP, JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda said "I can speak much on such issues. What is happening in which state, what is happening at the Centre.
What is happening here. What has happened during various Chief Ministers, I can discuss."
Responding to a question about BJP alleging that Kumaraswamy tapped phones to save his government, he said "They don't have any work.
What all they have done..they openly took people (referring to alleged poaching of MLAs). Do they have any shame?"
Another Congress legislator Tanveer Sait termed phone tapping as an infringement on individual privacy and freedom and said there was need for a detailed probe.
Senior BJP leader R Ashoka said he had raised the phone tapping allegation six months ago as he was aware about the functioning of the department since he was a former Home Minister.
Terming phone tapping as a "crime", he said, "things have come to light now as Police Commissioner (Bengaluru) Bhaskar Rao's phone was tapped or else it would not have come to light."
"I know that Bhaskar Rao's phone was tapped, I have information about whose phones were tapped," Ashoka claimed.
The controversy came to light as Bengaluru police commissioner Bhaskar Rao earlier this month ordered an inquiry into the phone tapping incident against the backdrop of a recently leaked telephone conversation purportedly between him and someone in Delhi lobbying on his behalf with some political heavyweights for the post he is occupying now.
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Putin meets Iran's FM Araghchi, says Russia ready to do its best to help bring peace to West Asia
Moscow (PTI): Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Monday met Russian President Vladimir Putin, who hailed the Iranian people for fighting bravely and heroically for their sovereignty and said Moscow is ready to do its best to help bring peace to West Asia as soon as possible.
Araghchi, who held talks with Omani and Pakistani leadership before arriving in Russia, met Putin in St. Petersburg and thanked him for supporting Iran, state-owned TASS news agency reported.
"Russia is ready to do everything in its power to ensure that peace in the Middle East is achieved as soon as possible," Putin said during his meeting with Araghchi, which was also attended by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Revealing that he received a message from Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei last week, Putin asked Araghchi to convey his "gratitude for this message and best wishes for his health and well-being."
He praised the Iranian people for fighting "bravely and heroically" for their sovereignty, Iran's state-run PRESS TV reported.
"We really hope that, based on the courage and desire for independence, the Iranian people, under the guidance of the new leader, will weather this difficult period of trials and peace will come,” Putin said.
He also stressed that Russia “intends to maintain” its strategic relations with Iran.
Araghchi said that the world witnessed Iran’s strength in countering the US during the recent war, and that the Islamic Republic is a "stable and powerful establishment."
"With their courage, the Iranian people succeeded in resisting the US aggression and will be able to endure it,” he said.
He said that it became clear that Iran has “great friends and allies” like Russia, and conveyed “warmest greetings” from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian to the Russian leader.
Araghchi said relations between Moscow and Tehran represent a “strategic partnership at the highest level” and will continue to develop "regardless of circumstances."
"We are grateful to you for the solid and strong positions in support of the Islamic Republic of Iran," he said.
Foreign Minister Lavrov said that the talks between President Putin and the Iranian Foreign Minister were "useful and constructive."
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov later said that Russia is "ready to provide any good offices, any mediation services that are acceptable to the parties."
"We will be ready to do everything so that ultimately peace ensues, guaranteed peace, and that there is no return to hostilities," Peskov was quoted as saying by TASS.
He was asked how Moscow can assist in future negotiations on the Iranian settlement.
Araghchi arrived in Russia after his whirlwind trip to Islamabad, which, according to him, was “very productive” and involved “good consultations" with Pakistan's Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, amid uncertainty over the second round of peace talks to resolve the war in West Asia.
"We held good consultations with our friends in Pakistan. The trip was successful. We assessed the outcome of our recent (meetings) and discussed in what direction and under what conditions talks can move on,” Araghchi said in a video posted on his Telegram channel upon his arrival in St Petersburg.
Referring to the second round of talks between the US and Iran to resolve the conflict in West Asia, Araghchi said: "Developments have taken place in the negotiations."
"Despite some progress in earlier rounds, the talks failed to reach their objectives due to the Americans' approach, the excessive demands they made, and the wrong approaches they adopted. Therefore, it was necessary to consult with our friends in Pakistan to review the latest situation,” Iran's official news agency IRNA quoted him as saying.
He said that the trip to Pakistan was a good opportunity to review developments related to the US-Israeli war against Iran, expressing confidence that “these consultations and coordination between the two countries will be highly significant.”
Araghchi arrived at St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Airport early Monday, where he was welcomed by Russian officials and Iran’s ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, the report said.
The first round of peace talks between Iran and the US, held on April 11 and 12, failed to bring the desired result for the parties to the conflict.
The Iranian minister arrived in Islamabad for the second time on Sunday after a short visit to Oman, where he held talks with Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said on security in the Strait of Hormuz and diplomatic efforts to end the Iran-US conflict.
After Araghchi left Pakistan for Oman on Saturday, President Donald Trump announced that US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would no longer be going to Islamabad for talks with Iran, contending that Washington held all the cards on the matter.
Trump on Sunday reiterated that the US and Iranian officials can talk by phone for a peace solution to the conflict.
On Tuesday, Trump extended the two-week ceasefire with Iran indefinitely to give Tehran more time to prepare a unified proposal to end the war, just hours before the truce was set to expire.
The war began when the US and Israel jointly attacked Iran on February 28, killing Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several top commanders. The retaliation by the Islamic Republic extended the war to the entire Gulf region.
