Allahabad/New Delhi, Feb 8 (IANS) Three Karnataka ministers caught watching porn has not gone down well with the top leadership of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), who have termed the incident unfortunate and promised action.
Even as the three ministers, as also the Karnataka chief minister, claimed they resigned voluntarily, BJP chief Nitin Gadkari said Wednesday it was the party that took action against them.
Talking to reporters in Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh, where the first phase of assembly elections were on, Gadkari said a probe would be carried out. "First of all they said they are innocent. We said resign immediately and an inquiry will be done," Gadkari said.
"It is unfortunate."
Stating that the party had taken the high moral ground, Gadkari said he had told Karnataka Chief Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda that action should immediately be taken.
The BJP president said it was an issue of deterioration in society.
"There is deterioration in every sector, whether it is the media, or administration, or society. It is a matter of concern," Gadkari said.
Senior party leader Arun Jaitley said there was a sense of regret in the party for the incident.
"We have a deep sense of regret that any of our members should be involved, unlike what happened in the Raj Bhavan (governor's residence) in Hyderabad or in Rajasthan, we have taken the responsibility," Jaitley said in Shahjahanpur.
The reference was to former Andhra Pradesh governor N.D. Tiwari being caught in a sex scandal and sacked Rajasthan minister Rajasthan minister Mahipal Maderna allegedly featuring on a sleaze CD with nurse Bhanwari Devi, who was subsequently kidnapped and killed.
The three Karnataka ministers -- Laxman Savadi, C.C. Patil and J. Krishna Palemar -- resigned Wednesday, a day after two of them were caught watching porn on the third minister's phone in the state assembly. The opposition is clamouring for their expulsion from the house.
All three claimed they have done no wrong and say a probe would prove their innocence.
BJP spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman also slammed the Congress for trying to play the moral police.
"Congress has much to explain about when the Raj Bhavan was misused, how can they be the moral police," Sitharaman asked while speaking to a news channel.
"The ministers have submitted their resignation and submitted to a probe by the competent authorities," she said.
"No one should act as moral police, we all are responsible for what is happening in society," she added.
Even as the three ministers, as also the Karnataka chief minister, claimed they resigned voluntarily, BJP chief Nitin Gadkari said Wednesday it was the party that took action against them.
Talking to reporters in Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh, where the first phase of assembly elections were on, Gadkari said a probe would be carried out. "First of all they said they are innocent. We said resign immediately and an inquiry will be done," Gadkari said.
"It is unfortunate."
Stating that the party had taken the high moral ground, Gadkari said he had told Karnataka Chief Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda that action should immediately be taken.
The BJP president said it was an issue of deterioration in society.
"There is deterioration in every sector, whether it is the media, or administration, or society. It is a matter of concern," Gadkari said.
Senior party leader Arun Jaitley said there was a sense of regret in the party for the incident.
"We have a deep sense of regret that any of our members should be involved, unlike what happened in the Raj Bhavan (governor's residence) in Hyderabad or in Rajasthan, we have taken the responsibility," Jaitley said in Shahjahanpur.
The reference was to former Andhra Pradesh governor N.D. Tiwari being caught in a sex scandal and sacked Rajasthan minister Rajasthan minister Mahipal Maderna allegedly featuring on a sleaze CD with nurse Bhanwari Devi, who was subsequently kidnapped and killed.
The three Karnataka ministers -- Laxman Savadi, C.C. Patil and J. Krishna Palemar -- resigned Wednesday, a day after two of them were caught watching porn on the third minister's phone in the state assembly. The opposition is clamouring for their expulsion from the house.
All three claimed they have done no wrong and say a probe would prove their innocence.
BJP spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman also slammed the Congress for trying to play the moral police.
"Congress has much to explain about when the Raj Bhavan was misused, how can they be the moral police," Sitharaman asked while speaking to a news channel.
"The ministers have submitted their resignation and submitted to a probe by the competent authorities," she said.
"No one should act as moral police, we all are responsible for what is happening in society," she added.
No comments: