The three Karnataka BJP ministers who outraged a nation and embarrassed their party and government after being caught watching porn on a cellphone in the Assembly on Tuesday resigned Wednesday after getting marching orders from the BJP’s central leadership.
Cooperation minister Laxman Savadi, ports, science and technology minister Krishna Palemar and women and child development minister C.C. Patil (whose earlier claim to fame was his infamous quote: “Women invite rape and sexual harassment when they dress provocatively”) resigned, keeping up the charade they had done so voluntarily.
BJP president Nitin Gadkari said Wednesday he had asked chief minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda and state party chief K. Eshwarappa to remove the ministers.
Mr Savadi, Mr Patil and Mr Palemar told reporters: “We didn’t want the party and government to face further embarrassment. All of us decided to resign, and handed over our resignations to the CM.”
This, however, failed to satisfy the Opposition Congress and Janata Dal(S), who demanded that the trio be disqualified. Both Houses of the legislature saw complete bedlam Wednesday as the Opposition sought a debate and made strident calls for the ministers’ removal from the Assembly.
Amid the ruckus Speaker K.G. Bopaiah announced the setting up of a House committee to conduct an inquiry and report by Sunday. Till then the three are barred from the House, the Speaker said.