Karnataka sleazegate ministers quit, BJP embarrassed (Second Lead)
February 8th, 2012 - 1:37 pm ICT by IANS
Bangalore, Feb 8 (IANS) Three Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ministers in Karnataka resigned from their posts Wednesday, a day after two of them were caught watching porn on the third minister’s phone in the state assembly. The opposition is already clamouring for their expulsion from the house.
All three - Laxman Savadi, C.C. Patil and J. Krishna Palemar - claim they have done no wrong and say a probe would prove their innocence.
The three told reporters separately here they had submitted the resignation from the ministry to Chief Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda “voluntarily”.
“We will urge the speaker to set up a probe to prove our innocence,” they said.
Private Kannada TV channels Tuesday showed Savadi intently watching the porn clip while Patil appeared to take a brief look on a cell phone that they said belonged to Palemar.
Gowda, state BJP chief K.S. Eshwarappa and former chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa also claimed that the resignations were “voluntary”. They did not want to embarrass the party, the three leaders told reporters at separate meets.
Eshwarappa, however, acknowledged that the development was an embarrassment for the party. “It is unfortunate. I cannot say it has not caused embarrassment to the party,” he said.
Eshwarappa said the three want Speaker K.G. Bopaiah to immediately order a probe so they can prove their innocence. “They are confident of proving their innocence,” he said.
Gowda said he had accepted their resignations and forwarded them to the governor for acceptance.
Savadi held the cooperation portfolio, Patil handled women and child welfare while Palemar looked after environment and ports.
The opposition Congress has mounted pressure for their expulsion from the Karnataka assembly.
“Resignation (from the ministry) is not adequate. They should be expelled from the assembly. We will insist on their expulsion,” state Congress chief G. Parameshwara told reporters.
The Janata Dal-Secular party will also seek their immediate disqualification from the assembly, state JD-S chief H. D. Kumaraswamy said.
The two parties plan to protest in the assembly till the three are expelled. The assembly will meet till Feb 10.
- Sleazegate scalps three Karnataka ministers, leaves BJP red-faced (Roundup) - Feb 08, 2012
- Three Karnataka porngate ministers quit, BJP red-faced (Afternoon Lead) - Feb 08, 2012
- Karnataka sleazegate: three ministers quit (Lead) - Feb 08, 2012
- BJP plans morality lessons for Karnataka lawmakers - Feb 14, 2012
- Congress stays away from sleazegate probe - Feb 15, 2012
- Of sleazegate ministers and their conflicting answers (Karnataka Newsletter) - Feb 11, 2012
- Karnataka porngate ministers now face police probe - Feb 13, 2012
- 'Sleazegate' ministers reply to speaker's notice - Feb 16, 2012
- Sleazegate: BJP, opposition spar over three ministers - Feb 09, 2012
- BJP ministers watch porn in Karnataka assembly; face sack (Second Lead) - Feb 08, 2012
- Panel set up to probe 'sleazegate' ministers' conduct (Lead) - Feb 16, 2012
- Porn incident unfortunate, BJP took action: Gadkari - Feb 08, 2012
- BJP minister found watching porn in Karnataka assembly (Lead) - Feb 07, 2012
- BJP's moral halo is fading rapidly (News Analysis) - Feb 08, 2012
- Clean chit for 2 porngate BJP ministers, censure for one - Mar 19, 2012
Tags: cell phone, chief minister, congress chief, cooperation, embarrassment, expulsion from, innocence, krishna, laxman, opposition congress, porn clip, ports, resignation, resignations, state assembly, state congress, tv channels, women and child welfare