: Karnataka assembly speaker Ramesh Kumar Tuesday compared himself to a rape survivor having to undergo repeated questioning as he referred to repeated charges against him being part of the controversial audio tapes, over which government has constituted an SIT.
The speaker made the intervention during the discussions in the assembly over the Special Investigation Team probe into an audio clip showing BJP chief B S Yeddyurappa in a purported conversation to lure a JD(S) MLA in his alleged attempt to topple the Congress-JDS government.
The Speaker, pointing to repeated reference to charges against him, said his "situation was like that of a rape victim, as they too are supposedly questioned about the incident repeatedly."
The Speaker called for a meeting of floor leaders on Wednesday to resolve the issue, as the BJP stuck to its strong opposition to the SIT, saying it could be used for "political vengeance."
Kumaraswamy expressed surprise about being called 'A1' by BJP in the case and said that since the leader of the opposition and other members have called him accused, "at least to punish me, a comprehensive inquiry has to happen."
Hitting out at BJP for suspecting political vengeance on the part of the government and its officials, he asked "did I direct Yeddyurappa and others in the way they did.?