Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Oct 9: An eight-month-old audio CD said to contain discussions over donation made to central leadership of the party that had created a controversy then, has suddenly surfaced from nowhere and threatening to snowball into an issue that can throw a spanner into BJP's election prospects. The CD is said to contain discussion between state BJP president, B S Yeddyurappa, and union minister, Ananth Kumar, about money collection handed over to national leaders. The new controversy stems from the fact that the forensic science laboratory tests have confirmed that the voices in the said CD are indeed those of the above two leaders.

The stage is now set for the arch rivals, BJP and Congress, to indulge in mud slinging at each other in an effort to slur the image of one another. The audio CD has prospects of becoming an important election issue.

The conversations were captured by an audio CD during the television recording of a programme held on February 12 this year organized by BJP on the issue of recovery of a diary containing details of donations made to Congress high command and the charges and counter charges levelled by both the parties. Congress leaders are saying that in the said conversations, both Ananth and Yeddyurappa, who were sitting side by side, were talking about donations of this kind having been collected and handed over to BJP leadership when BJP was in power.

Complaint about this conversation had been filed with cyber crime department and Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB). However, both Ananth Kumar and Yeddyurappa had alleged that this was an effort made by Congress to divert the accusations made by BJP leaders and that the audio CD was doctored. The cyber crime police had sent the CD to forensic science laboratory for testing, and as per a report given by officer of the laboratory, Shreevidya, the voices contained in the CD are those of Yeddyurappa and Ananth Kumar. Cyber crime officials said this matter would be brought to the attention of top officials after which a suitable decision would be taken.

Head of ACB, M N Reddi, said that no complaint about the said audio CD has been filed in ACB and that the cyber crime poice are verifying the voices contained in this CD. BJP state president, B S Yeddyurappa, dared Siddaramaiah to file any number of cases against him. "ACB is being misused. So far ACB has received 52 complaints. How many of them have been solved so far? Let them come out with details. Siddaramaiah appears to be preparing for his own doom," he stated.