Bengaluru: Verbal spat between Mandya MP Sumalatha and former Chief Minister H.D.Kumaraswamy has intensified with Mandya MP warned JD(S) leaders not to drag her husband, late Amabareesh name, into ‘their cheap’ politics. 

Responding to JD(S) leader and former Chief Minister H.D.Kumaraswamy’s claim over approving film actor turned politician Ambareesh memorial, Sumalatha clarified that present Chief Minister B.S.Yediyurappa had approved the construction of the memorial of her husband. 

“ Mr. Kumaraswamy is claiming that Ambareesh was his bosom friend, at the same time through his party MLA, Ravindra Srikantaiah, he accused that Ambareesh took the share from illegal mining. Don’t drag Ambareesh name into your cheap politics”, Sumalatha warned. 

“Chief Minister B.S.Yediyurappa has approved the memorial of Ambareesh; Kumaraswamy was nothing to do with that. In fact, Kumaraswamy threw a paper on the face of senior artist Doddanna when later approached him to set up a memorial of Ambareesh. But now he making a false claim that approving the memorial of Ambareesh”, Sumalatha replied to a question. 

Read: Illegal mining: JD(S)leaders stoop low against Sumalatha

Further, Sumalatha challenged the former Chief Minister to release audio of her in which she was allegedly negotiating with middlemen. “Why he is waiting to release said audio till the next elections. Mr. Kumaraswamy is an expert in making audio and telephone tapping. He has done phone tapping of Adichunchanagiri Swamiji”, Sumalatha added.  

“If you (Kumaraswamy)have any respect towards Ambareesh, stop taking his name. Why do you so much disturbed after my visit to illegal mining sites. It means you are involved in illegal mining and taking share from illegal mining”, Sumalatha countered. 

JD(S) leaders have exposed themselves after giving low-level statements against me. Now they are taking the name of Ambareesh. They have no moral right to take my husband's name. If they are continued the same, in next Assembly elections, JD(S) would loose all its seven seats in Mandya, Sumalatha warned. 

“Mr. Kumaraswamy has tapped my phone calls, the CBI officers have taken my statements at Delhi in this regard, Sumalatha said and added that she would insist on CBI enquiry into illegal mining in Mandya. 

Meanwhile, the film producer and family friend of Ambareesh, Rockline Venkatesh, has entered into a verbal spat between JD(S) leaders and Sumalatha. Mr. Venkatesh dared Kumaraswamy to release the audio and added that he knew what audio Kumaraswamy is talking about. 

Further, he rebutted the claim of Kumaraswamy, that he taking mortal remains of Ambareesh to Mandya for public homage. “It was not Kumaraswamy's decision to take Ambareesh's mortal remains to Mandya. His son Abhishek Ambareesh has insisted on taking his father's body to Mandya for public homage.

Even Sumalatha did not object for taking mortal remains of Ambareesh; instead she agreed to lift the mortal remains of Ambaressh to Mandya. But Kumaraswamy is making a false claim”, Mr. Venkatesh countered.

Day before, Mr. Kumaraswamy stated that Sumalatha had objected to taking the mortal remains of Ambareesh to Mandya. 

“We don’t have any right to speak about Ambareesh. I would suggest Mr. Kumaraswamy to do clean politics rather mudslinging and doing cheap politics; it will not suit his stature”, Mr. Venkatesh advised.