Daijiworld Media Network – Bangalore (SP)
Bangalore, Feb 8: Assembly sessions are convened to do serious business aimed at attaining progress of the state and attending to the welfare of the people. But, three ministers in the state government were seen watching vulgar dances and sex scenes in mobile phone. Their behaviour was recorded by television cameras, and the ministers, who tried to claim that they had never done so, had to resign today morning after the high command stepped in and blew the whistle.
Laxman Savadi, CC Patil and Krishna Palemar
Ministers, Laxman Savadi, C C Patil, and Krishna Palemar, resigned today after they were told in no uncertain terms by the national leaders that their action was not fit of their approval. The high command, it appears, is in a hurry not to allow the party’s image to suffer further because of this episode.
The incident occurred when opposition leader, Siddaramaiah, was taking the government to task for failing to take proper action in the case of hoisting of Pakistani flag at Sidhagi, and was deriding Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh for its role in this episode, when the incident occurred. Chief Minister, Sadananda Gowda, and minister, Suresh Kumar, who is also the leader of the house, were not present when the incident occurred.
When BJP ministers and MLAs joined together to pounce upon Siddaramaiah and deride him for passing strong comments against the party regime, when minister for cooperation, Laxman Savadi, and minister for child and women welfare, C C Patil, continued to be busy watching the mobile, as if they were unconcerned about the proceedings of the house. Savadi had hidden the mobile phone inside a file and was watching the scenes, and C C Patil, who was seated by his side, was seen peeping into the mobile frequently to enjoy what was going on.
Immediately television channels beamed the scenes, an outrage against ministers swept across the state. A call for Athani bandh was given. Athavni is the constituency represented by Laxman Savadi. The opposition leaders also jumped into action, criticizing the ministers vociferously for their immoral act, and demanding their resignations. It is understood that national president of BJP, Nitin Gadkari, passed on instructions for the resignations of these ministers.
The party had also come under criticism a day earlier for allowing rave party at St Mary’s Island off Malpe near Udupi in the name of cultural festival aimed at attracting tourists.
All the three ministers claimed that they had done nothing wrong, but were resigning in order to save the party from blushes, as the media and opposition parties are engaged in slanderous campaign against them. They requested Chioef Minister, Sadananda Gowda, state president of BJP, K S Eshwarappa, and leaders, Basavaraja Bommai and Jagadish Shettar, to accept their resignations. They have also appealed to the assembly speaker to conduct an inquiry into the incident, and expressed confidence of coming out clean.
Savadi said that minister Krishna Palemar, who received a MMS relating to a rape which happened in a foreign country, handed over to him. He said the scene depicted raping of a Muslim lady by four youth, and murdering her later. The police and public together catch hold of the guilty and hang them in the scene, he said. He said there was no mistake in watching the scene, as it looked like the ones which occurred at Udupi. He said he is not that dumb watch blue film when the assembly was in session. He however, feigned ignorance about details about the sender or website from which the scene was downloaded.
In the meanwhile, Palemar said the mobile does not belong to him. He asserted that his mobile phone never receives any scenes explained above. He also said he had never discussed about the happenings in St Mary’s Island with Laxman Savadi as claimed by the latter during his press conference at his home. He said he was under pressure not to resign, but had volunteered to leave, to ensure that his party does not feel awkward in this case.
All the three ministers sent in their resignations by fax to the speaker and Chief Minister.
In the past, there had been incidents in which legislators were warned against using mobile phones inside the house.
It will be interesting to watch the fall out of this incident on the state government and BJP as a whole in the state, as Sangh Parivar is expected to intervene in the matter.
The Chief Minister, speaking to press persons, informed that three of his ministers have resigned voluntarily without being under any pressure, as they apprehended that the opposition will use the above incident as a political weapon. He said he is forwarding the resignations to the Governor for acceptance. He added that the ministers are confident of coming out unscathed, and that they had clarified to him that they had resigned on moral grounds.
K S Eshwarappa termed the resignations as unfortunate, and expressed confidence that the ministers will be able to prove themselves right.