Kumaraswamy accuses PM Modi of undermining democracy, plays tape on Yeddyurappa

Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of destroying the country’s democracy, hours before the presentation of the state budget in the Assembly. He said he had evidence to expose what he called the prime minister’s double standards.

The audio tape

Kumaraswamy played a recording of a conversation which he said showed BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa offering money to Naganagouda Patil, the JD(S) MLA from Gurmitkal, to switch to the BJP.

He urged the prime minister to act against Yeddyurappa, saying that while Modi lectured others on proper conduct, he was encouraging his party colleagues to disrupt House proceedings.

Call to the opposition

Kumaraswamy alleged that the prime minister was systematically dismantling democracy and misleading the people. He asked all opposition parties to stand up and expose this in Parliament. He also accused the BJP of obstructing the working of the state assembly and said the party’s “Operation Kamala” was continuing in an attempt to lure away the ruling coalition’s legislators.

The numbers in the Assembly

At the time, the 224-member Assembly had 104 BJP MLAs, 80 Congress members and 37 from the Janata Dal (Secular). Since the Congress and JD(S) formed a joint government in May of the previous year, there had been signs of discontent within the coalition.

What happened next

The Kumaraswamy government, which took office on 23 May 2018 with Congress support, fell in July 2019, and Yeddyurappa returned as Chief Minister.

See also: Janata Dal (Secular)

Originally published on 8 February 2019. Rewritten on 9 October 2026.

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