Audio clip row over Yeddyurappa; BJP files complaint against CM Kumaraswamy
Bengaluru, Feb 10: A complaint has been filed against Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy alleging that the audio clip released about state BJP Chief B S Yeddyurappa's alleged bid to destabilise the coalition government was a "fabricated,created and truncated" one,the party said Sunday.
The complaint has been lodged with the Vidhana Soudha police station under various sections of IPC including 463 (Forgery) and 464 (Making a false document) among others, and the Information Technology Act, state BJP said.
After coming to know of the "plot" hatched by Kumaraswamy and his associates to "tarnish" the reputation of Yeddyurappa and BJP, M B Maramkal (Yeddyurappa's associate) filed the criminal complaint, it said.
"We hope that the investigating agency would investigate into the matter and press criminal charges against Kumaraswamy and his associates and bring them to justice," it said in a statement.
Facing turmoil in the ruling coalition that has cast a shadow over the stability of his government, Kumaraswamy had on Friday released the audio clip in which Yeddyurappa is purportedly trying to lure JDS MLA Naganagouda through his sonSharana Gouda.
Yeddyurappa, who is at the vortex of the row over his alleged bid to poach the ruling coalition MLAs for the past few weeks, was quick dismiss the clip as "fake" and a "concocted story".
He had on Friday dismissed the claim by the Chief Minister that he had spoken in the audio about a 'Rs 50 crore' offer to the assembly speaker.
Noting that subsequent to the event on Friday when the Chief Minister along with others held a press conference and released the audio clip, the BJP said it was found that the clip was a "fabricated, created and truncated one."
"The making of the audio CD and the release of the same to media houses was part of the conspiracy hatched by Kumaraswamy who is presently facing severe trust deficit from the legislators of his party as well as the coalition partner being the Congress," the saffron party said.
Accusing Kumaraswamy of indulging in "third grade" politics, Yeddyurappa Sunday said he was ready for any inquiry into the audio clip.
Pointing out that the Chief Minister has himself sent MLA's son to him, the senior BJP leader said it was true that he spoke to Sharan Gouda, and charged Kumaraswamy with releasing only a part of the audio which he wanted.
On the other hand, Karnataka state youth Congress has also petitioned Sadashivanagar police here to book a case against Yeddyurappa on grounds of "corruption and allurement" with money to poach MLAs from ruling side with an intention to topple the coalition government.
Claiming that the audio tape of Yeddyurappa's conversation with Sharan Gouda that has been released is an evidence, Youth Congress Vice President (Malleshwaram) Ashwin Gowda in a statement said, a complaint has been filed at Sadashivanagar police station here recently,under whose jurisdiction Yeddyurappa's residence falls.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Rupee falls 9 paise to record low of 90.87 against US dollar in early trade
Mumbai (PTI): The rupee plunged 9 paise to a record low of 90.87 against the US dollar in early trade on Tuesday, weighed down by sustained FII outflows and no breakthrough in the India-US trade deal.
However, a weaker greenback and a decline in global crude oil prices capped further losses in the domestic unit, according to forex traders.
At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee opened at its all-time low of 90.87 against the US dollar, down 9 paise from its previous close, and traded in a narrow range of 90.77- 90.87 in early trade.
ALSO READ: Rupee falls 9 paise to all-time low of 90.58 against US dollar in early trade
The rupee on Monday settled at a new all-time low of 90.78 against the US dollar, registering a loss of 29 paise over its previous close, weighed down by uncertainty over an India-US trade deal and persistent foreign fund outflows.
"The US-India trade deal still seems to be off by a distance with the Commerce Secretary saying the first phase will be signed before the end of the year and news that we are closest to the deal being signed. The uncertainty has clouded the recovery on the USD/INR pair as the rupee opened lower with dollar buying happening every day," Anil Kumar Bhansali, Head of Treasury and Executive Director, Finrex Treasury Advisors LLP, said.
Even a reduction in trade deficit on Monday could not bring about a recovery in the rupee with Foreign Institutional Investors (FII) outflows continuing, he added
According to the latest government data released on Monday, India's trade deficit narrowed to a five-month low of USD 24.53 billion in November, as exports rebounded by 19.37 per cent to a six-month high of USD 38.13 billion after contracting in October, driven by higher shipments of engineering and electronics goods.
At the same time, the country's imports dipped by 1.88 per cent to USD 62.66 billion due to a fall in the inbound shipments of gold, crude oil, coal, and coke.
FIIs sold equities worth Rs 1,468.32 crore on Monday, according to exchange data.
Also, wholesale price inflation stayed in the negative for the second consecutive month in November at (-) 0.32 per cent, even though there was an uptick in prices of food articles like pulses and vegetables on a month-on-month basis, government data showed on Monday.
Wholesale Price Index (WPI)-based inflation was at (-) 1.21 per cent in October and 2.16 per cent in November last year.
Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading 0.03 per cent lower at 98.27.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading 0.61 per cent lower at USD 60.19 per barrel in futures trade.
On the domestic equity market front, the 30-share benchmark index, Sensex, declined 363.92 points to 84,849.44 in early trade while the Nifty was down 106.65 points to 25,920.65.
