Bengaluru, March 3 (NationPress) In a pointed personal critique aimed at Karnataka's Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday, Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy charged him with overlooking governance while engaging in political skirmishes, amidst the swirling controversy regarding alleged phone tapping in the state.

Allegations have surfaced that Siddaramaiah may have tapped the phones of Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, who has aspirations to ascend to the Chief Minister's position. Siddaramaiah has firmly denied these claims.

Kumaraswamy, through a series of posts on the social media platform X, expressed that the Chief Minister seemed more focused on countering accusations than on effective governance.

In response to media reports concerning the phone tapping scandal, Kumaraswamy clarified that his comments were merely reactions to public inquiries and not unfounded allegations.

He criticized the Congress-led state government for engaging in internal disputes instead of prioritizing governance after securing 140 seats in the Karnataka Assembly.

Concerns that the phone tapping scandal may be linked to an internal 'chair war' within the Congress party have been voiced by both the Opposition and various media outlets, according to Kumaraswamy.

"When questions arise, it is the responsibility of the (Congress) government to address them directly instead of diverting the discussion," the Union Minister stated.

Kumaraswamy dismissed any notion that he had participated in phone tapping during his own terms as Chief Minister of Karnataka, asserting that he served two short terms without an independent majority and had no motive to misuse power to cling to office.

He accused the Congress party of historically undermining democratic values, highlighting the Emergency period as an example of the grand old party's disregard for internal democracy.

Kumaraswamy emphasized that democracy should not manifest as factionalism among legislators, public discord between the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister, or threats to the media via government advertising.

He condemned the politics of division based on caste and religion as harmful to democratic governance.

The Union Minister also criticized Siddaramaiah for allegedly involving Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the controversy, stating that the current Congress administration in Karnataka has normalized misuse of authority and vendetta against the Opposition.

Kumaraswamy referred to what he called a "Siddaramaiah Investigation Team (SIT)" and accused the government of using investigative tools selectively.

In a personal note, he recalled Siddaramaiah's past political affiliations and suggested that history would evaluate his political decisions. Kumaraswamy challenged Siddaramaiah to remember his party allegiance before joining Congress, as he had previously left the JD-S and was once closely associated with former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda.

Kumaraswamy noted that his father, former Prime Minister Deve Gowda, accepted electoral defeats without resorting to unethical practices and asserted his commitment to confront political challenges head-on.

This political back-and-forth signifies a deepening rift between Karnataka's Congress-led state government and prominent Opposition figures over accusations of surveillance and internal strife.