Mangalore: Parties See Red over Blue Film - Protests Erupt Across City
Pics: Dayanand Kukkaje / Ramesh Pandith
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (PS)
Mangalore, Feb 8: Protests by various political groups erupted in different parts of the city on Wednesday February 8 a day after the sensational news of three Karnataka cabinet ministers watching porn film in the Assembly rocked the state.
BJP's Krishna J Palemar, C C Patil and Laxman Savadi were caught on cameras on the Tuesday February 7 watching a porn video on a mobile phone. After the news made headlines across the nation, all three of them resigned as ministers, although they still hold their posts as MLAs.
On Wednesday, the district Congress, CITU and CPI (M) held protests demanding the suspension of the three from BJP and stern action against them.
In a unique and sarcastic form of protest, the district Congress created makeshift 'Vidhana Soudha' out of a car with a banner hanging across it, and poured water over the car to signify the 'purification' of the 'Vidhana Soudha'. The protestors also lit effigies of Palemar, Patil and Savadi.
KPCC secretary Ivan D'Souza said that all three had brought bad name to the people of the state and insulted the state itself.
He demanded resignation of all three from the MLA post and said that Palemar should contest the elections again and see whether people would elect him again or not.
"The BJP which speaks of culture is now holding rave parties and indulging in unwanted activities, and even the chief minister is backing them. They speak of development in the last three years, but their achivements have been only nepotism, mining, and now this."
"All three should be suspended from the party," he demanded.
Congress leaders Vijay Kumar Shetty, Ashraf, Mohiuddin Bava, Shashidhar Hegde, T K Sudhir, P V Mohan, Suresh Ballal, Pravinchandra Alva, Lancelot Pinto and Mithun Rai were present.
At the same time, the members of CPI(M) too held protest placing similar demands of resignation of the three MLAs. They shouted slogans against the government called for swift and stringent action in the matter.
The CPI (M) in its protest listed out a string of scandals that had hit BJP state government over the last three years, especially those regarding women, such as pub attack in Mangalore and rape cases against ministers.
District secretary B Madhava termed the incident regrettable and said that it is shocking that a sacred place like the Vidhana Soudha has now been polluted by such an incident.
He further said that the BJP should step down on moral grounds and give way for elections. He also urged the people to be careful while electing their leaders.
The CPI(M) too demanded immediate resignation of the three tainted men from the post of MLA. Madhava also took digs at the CM for supporting an event like the rave party at Malpe, saying that it was wrong on his part to do so.
CPI(M) leaders Sunil Kumar Bajal, Vasanth Kumar among others were present.
Apart from them All India Youth Federation (AIYF) and SDPI also held similar protests in other parts of the city.