The Anti-Corruption Bureau on Sunday lodged a First Information Report against Union minister Ananth Kumar and Karnataka Bharatiya Janata Party chief BS Yeddyurappa in connection with a leaked audio clip of a conversation purportedly between the two leaders. Forensic reports have confirmed that the voices in the audio clip were of Yeddyurappa and Kumar, ANI reported.

In February, the Congress had released the audio clip recorded by a private news channel in which the two leaders were heard confessing to money transactions made by local political leaders to their party high command. Kumar and Yeddyurappa were also heard plotting against Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. In May, a court in Bengaluru had asked both the BJP leaders to submit their voice samples.

Reacting to the development, Yeddyurappa alleged political vendetta. “The ACB is doing this intentionally, because Siddaramaiah has forced it to,” the former Karnataka chief minister told ANI. “He has failed to get Ananth Kumar and me. We are ready to face the ACB.”