Karnataka minister says ready to resign over ‘we are not running government’ audio clip

Mangalore Today News Network

Bengaluru, Aug 16, 2022: Karnataka Law Minister JC Madhuswamy said he is ready to resign after his remarks on the BJP government in the state caused embarrassment for the ruling party. The minister’s remarks were part of a leaked audio clip that was released on Tuesday.

 

"I will happily tender my resignation. If it is good for the CM and good for the party, I will happily do it," the minister said.

"We are not running the government, we are just managing it," minister Madhuswamy was heard saying in the leaked audio clip.

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Tuesday tried to do damage control by stating that the comments were made in a "different context".

Responding to the leaked audio, the minister said that he hadn’t spoken the words intentionally and a provocative phone call led to the remarks."When some farmer called me, I might probably have spoken out due to provocation. This should not be given so much importance. When he told me that he was cheated at a district co-operative bank, I might have reacted in that way. I don’t know how I spoke on that day, only after hearing the audio, I got to know what I spoke," Madhuswamy said.

"I have immense respect for the government, I have respect for all our ministers. Everybody has done a good job. If we did something wrong, we would try to rectify it," he added.

The law minister further said that Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai had sought an explanation and he was convinced by his explanation.

"I gave an explanation to him and he was convinced. He didn’t talk about anything else. Why should we unnecessarily create issues?" he asked.

Notably, several ministers in the Bommai Cabinet have demanded Madhuswamy’s resignation over the remarks.

A purported phone conversation between Madhuswamy and Bhaskar, a Channapatna-based social worker, had gone viral on Saturday.

"We are not running a government here, we are just managing, pulling through for the next 7-8 months," Madhuswamy can be heard telling Bhaskar in response to his complaints against a cooperative bank, with respect to some farmers’ issues.

In the purported phone conversation, while responding to the social worker’s complaint, the Minister can be heard even expressing "helplessness" over Cooperation Minister S T Somashekar’s "inaction".

"I know these issues. I’ve brought this to the notice of Somashekhar. He is not taking action. What to do?" Madhuswamy can be heard saying.

Courtesy: India Today