Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah (PTI image)
NEW DELHI: Proceedings in the Karnataka Assembly were disrupted on Wednesday after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accused the Congress-led Siddaramaiah government of phone tapping.The house was in total ruckus following law and parliamentary affairs minister HK Patil remarks who suggested that the governor Thaawarchand Gehlot was acting on instructions received through calls from Delhi. The controversy erupted during the debate on the motion of thanks to the governor’s address to the joint sitting of the state legislature. BJP legislators alleged that the Congress government had accessed details of phone calls received at the Raj Bhavan (Lok Bhavan), raising serious questions about surveillance and misuse of power.Last week, on January 22, governor Gehlot refused to read the full state-prepared address to the joint session of the legislature and concluded his speech in just three lines. The move drew sharp criticism from the Congress government. The governor had objected to certain references in the address that were critical of the Centre, including remarks on the alleged “repeal” of the UPA-era employment guarantee scheme, MGNREGA. Intervening in the debate on Wednesday, BJP MLA Suresh Kumar accused the state government of disrespecting the governor and making unwarranted allegations against a constitutional authority. He observed that there have been earlier instances where governors did not read their full addresses.Citing precedent, Kumar referred to January 2011, when the BJP was in power in the state. He said that then governor Hansraj Bhardwaj had tabled his address to the joint session to be treated as read after the then Leader of the Opposition, Siddaramaiah, urged him not to read it, alleging corruption by the BJP government at the time.Responding to this comparison, law minister H K Patil alleged that the present Governor had acted under instructions received over phone 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),” Patil said.The remark triggered strong protests from the BJP benches. Suresh Kumar said that the law minister was making a grave allegation and questioned how the government knew about calls to the governor. “Is the government tapping the Raj Bhavan (Lok Bhavan) phones, to know about the Governor getting calls from Delhi?” he asked.As BJP MLAs rose in protest, the House descended into chaos. BJP MLA Sunil Kumar alleged that Patil’s statement amounted to an admission. “How can this be tolerated? This is the second time the Law Minister has said this in the House. Is phone tapping happening?” he said.IT/BT Minister Priyank Kharge came to Patil’s defence, saying the law minister was only alleging that the Governor was acting like a “puppet in the hands of the central government.” However, the BJP maintained that the statements raised serious doubts about surveillance at the Raj Bhavan.Escalating the exchange, Kharge alleged that the governor was receiving calls from Keshava Krupa, the RSS’s Karnataka state headquarters. BJP members countered the claim by saying the Congress “gets calls from Italy,” further intensifying the verbal sparring.Sunil Kumar and other BJP MLAs reiterated their charge that the state government had stooped to tapping the Governor’s phone. “The Law Minister has repeatedly said that the Governor was getting calls from Delhi. How did they know? If they have records, let them place it in the House,” he said, alleging that both Patil and Kharge were involved in tapping phones at Lok Bhavan.Senior BJP leaders, including Suresh Kumar and Sunil Kumar, continued to accuse the Siddaramaiah government of surveillance and described it as a “phone tapping government.” Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka also backed the allegations.Replying to the charges, Patil questioned why there had been no clarification from either the Governor or the Centre after he first made the allegation 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.The remarks led to further heated exchanges between the treasury and opposition benches, with Ashoka claiming that the statements by Patil and Kharge themselves proved that phones at the Lok Bhavan and the RSS office were being tapped. “Are our phones also being tapped? This is a phone-tapping government,” he said.As disorder continued in the House, Speaker U T Khader adjourned the Assembly for lunch.
