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Journalism of Courage
The Congress released Friday an audio conversation, which it claimed was between former BJP minister G Janardhana Reddy and newly elected Congress MLA Basanagouda Daddal, and accused the BJP of attempts to poach on Congress MLAs ahead of Saturday’s floor test in the Karnataka Assembly. The BJP has dismissed the audio; in a tweet, the party’s Karnataka unit has accused the Congress of using a mimicry artist to imitate Reddy’s voice. A translated transcript of the purported conversation:
Caller: Hello.
Receiver: Hello.
Caller: Basanagouda, are you free? Sir wants to talk to you. Janardhana Reddy Sir.
Receiver: OK, OK, give it to him.
Voice#3 (purported to be of Reddy): Basanagouda?
Receiver: Tell me, Sir. Namaskara!
Voice#3: Are you free?
Receiver: Yes, I am free.
Voice#3: Nothing. Don’t think about all the things that happened in the past. Forget all the bad things that have happened. I am telling you my good time has begun. Now the national president himself will sit down and speak to you. When you speak to him, one-to-one, you can tell him what position you want and what you want and then decide what to do.
Receiver: No sir when I was in a bad situation they came to my help and brought me to this position now
Voice#3: I will tell you one thing. When we created the BSR party, it was a very bad time and there was a lot of opposition. There is no doubting that you have lost a lot by believing in us. But I am telling you, you will grow100 times more. Shivanagouda Nayak [BJP MLA from Devadurga in Raichur] has been successful because he listened to me and came and became a minister at that time [an apparent reference to 2008]. Today he is strong and able to look after himself and can be an MLA until he dies. Is it not? It all happened because of me. Raju Gowda [a.ka. Narasimha Nayak, BJP MLA from Surpur] also benefited because of me. It was your bad luck that in my bad times, you also had a bad time. Today, there is no use with Shivanagouda winning. Today you will be a minister. Do you understand? What I am saying is that I will make you sit one-on-one with the big man and speak to them myself. The administration that they are providing in the country, you will benefit. You will make 100 times the wealth you currently have.
Receiver: No sir. Sorry sir. They helped me when I was in a real bad spot and they have given me a ticket to contest elections and have helped me, Basanagouda Nayak and others. In such a situation I cannot betray them. I respect you and regard you well.
