Karnataka ministers in porn scandal: 10 developments

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Bangalore, Feb 8, 2012:  Three Karnataka ministers who were allegedly caught on camera watching porn on a cellphone in the state Assembly have resigned. Floor leaders of the Karnataka Assembly are meeting currently to decide the future course of action. The ministers - Lakshman Savadi, CC Patil and Krishna Palemar - may be asked to resign as MLAs too.

The BJP says the ministers resigned voluntarily. The trio reportedly said they were keen "to save the party’s image."  Chief Minister Sadananda Gowda of the BJP forwarded their resignations to the Governor. The resignations have been accepted.

 

 

The BJP in Karnataka is dealing with the consequences of three of its ministers who allegedly watched porn on a cellphone in the Assembly yesterday.   Here are 10 new developments in the scandal:

1. The Karnataka Assembly erupted in chaos this morning as opposition members shouted "Shame" at the BJP.    Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda informed all MLAs that the ministers have resigned.

2. The ministers are Lakshman Savadi, CC Patil and Krishna Palemar.  One of them believes he will be proved innocent.  "We will request the honourable Speaker to conduct investigation and we will come out with a clean chit," said Mr Patil.

3. The opposition led by the Congress and JD(S) want the former ministers to be expelled from the Assembly. Siddaramaiah of the Congress appealed to Speaker K G Bopaiah to use his "special powers" to make this possible.  "The three have violated the sanctity of the House. Shame on the government," Mr Siddaramaiah said. 

4. The BJP cites technicalities and says the trio cannot be expelled from the House. State party chief K S Eshwarappa said the opposition must wait for the results of an investigation to determine if the ex-ministers are guilty.

5. BJP national president Nitin Gadkari has said an inquiry will be ordered against the three former ministers. "As of now, all the three ministers claim to be innocent. However, an inquiry will be ordered into the episode and suitable action will be taken by the Chief Minister of the state," he said.  "There is deterioration in all walks of life. Unfortunately, politics has not remained immune to that," he added.

6. Mr Savadi and CC Patil were filmed by a local channel while allegedly watching porn on Mr Palemar’s cellphone.  The channel, which was filming the proceedings of the House, began carrying the footage yesterday after the Assembly adjourned for the day. 

7. Mr Savadi said at a press conference last evening that he was not surfing porn and that he was watching a news story about a woman being molested.  He had also said that he would not quit.

8. Kapil Sibal of the Congress was quick to join the attack against the BJP." Nowadays, these BJP people have all kinds of entertainment. Sometimes it is political entertainment, sometimes entertainment of another sort. I don’t want to use any harsh words. When the BJP waxes eloquent on issues of morality, if they look at their own members of the legislative assembly, they will find the answers there."

9. Political parties in Bangalore have objected to a music festival held recently by the state tourism department that was allegedly a rave.  They allege that the attendees, especially foreign tourists, indulged in "obscene behaviour."  Yesterday, the Chief Minister had said that "nothing that went against Indian culture would be tolerated."  Many now ask if the BJP is against a rave, but accepting of inappropriate behavior by its members in the Assembly. 

10. The right-wing moral police of Karnataka, infamous for demanding bans on Valentine’s Day celebrations and targeting women for going to pubs, has not commented on the controversy.


The Congress’ Veerappa Moily says the ministers’ resignation is not enough for the "shameless act"; the ministers, he says, should be suspended by the Assembly Speaker and should be arrested for "violating the law and the sanctity of the Assembly."  Cellphones are not allowed inside Assembly and watching porn is illegal, apart from the charges of "morality and perversity" that the Congress has levelled.
 

Trinamool MP Derek O’Brien tweeted, "If an MP (or) MLA watches porn in his bedroom, it’s his problem. If he watches it in (the) Parliament (or) Assembly it’s a big problem."

Courtesy: NDTV