K'taka Cong urges SC to take on record audio clip of CM Yediyurappa in MLAs disqualification case

The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear the plea on the leaked clip in which Karnataka chief minister B S Yediyurappa was heard saying that the rebel MLAs were “kept in Mumbai under the watch of BJP president Amit Shah”.  A bench headed by Justice N V Ramana said it will consult Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi for constituting the bench tomorrow to consider the fresh material given by the Karnataka Congress.

New Delhi: The Karnataka Congress on Monday requested the Supreme Court hearing the MLA disqualification case to take on record a fresh audio clip in which Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa is purportedly referring to rebel MLAs.

A bench headed by Justice N V Ramana said it will consult Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi for constituting the bench on Tuesday to consider the fresh material given by the Karnataka Congress.

Timeline of Karnataka Political Crisis

A purported audio clip of Yediyurappa expressing anguish against leaders at a recent party meeting in Hubballi over their opposition to giving tickets to disqualified Congress-JD(S) MLAs for the December 5 assembly by-polls in 15 assembly constituencies had surfaced on Friday last. In the audio, he is purportedly saying that the rebel Congress JD(S) MLAs, who were later disqualified, were kept in Mumbai during the final days of the coalition government under BJP national President Amit Shah's watch.

He had purportedly hit out at party leaders for lack of support in 'saving' the BJP government and not recognizing the 'sacrifice' of rebel MLAs, behind party coming to power.

The top court had on October 25 reserved verdict on a batch of petitions challenging the disqualification of 17 Karnataka MLAs before the trust vote moved by the previous H D Kumaraswamy government.