Karnataka former CM said, “Even if I ask for an independent inquiry, who will head it, who will submit the report, will they really submit a fair report? These questions arise and make me feel that it will just be a waste of the taxpayer`s money."

The report indicates that even one phone number belonging to Venkatesh, the personal secretary of former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, a security detail of former Prime Minister and JD(S) Chief HD Devegowda, and the number of G Parameshwara, then Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka, were all targeted around the same time that trouble started for the coalition government in June-July in 2019.

Seventeen legislators from Congress and JD(S) resigned and later joined the BJP, paving the way for BS Yediyurappa to become the CM. 

Kumaraswamy says the role of the Narendra Modi-led Union government in the episode is evident and Pegasus was used for the same. “When the MLAs were taken to BJP-ruled-Maharashtra, it became clear that it was at the behest of the Union government. It has become common to misuse power. Using this system (Pegasus), they leveraged the misunderstandings that existed in the coalition government,” he said.

But the JD(S) leader downplayed the issue that has been making headlines across the country. While saying that the BJP is not unique in misusing power for political spying, Kumaraswamy cast aspersions on Congress too.

“It is not true that this (spying) has started now. State and Union governments have intelligence departments. They have a system to track what happens across the country. Even Congress did the same thing when they were in power,” Kumaraswamy said.

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