Assembly adjourned after ruckus over Jarkiholi case

Bengaluru: The Karnataka Assembly was adjourned sine die on Wednesday as the sex scandal allegedly involving BJP leader and former water resources minister Ramesh Jarkiholi rocked the proceedings for the third consecutive day

Bengaluru:

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The Karnataka Assembly was adjourned sine die on Wednesday as the sex scandal allegedly involving BJP leader and former water resources minister Ramesh Jarkiholi rocked the proceedings for the third consecutive day.

Faced by continued disruption, the budget session of the Assembly that began on March 4, was adjourned sine die five days ahead of the schedule of March 31.

The uproar started after Karnataka health minister K Sudhakar on Wednesday sought an inquiry into the private lives of 225 legislators to know if they were involved in any “immoral relationships” in the past.

“I am openly challenging them, all the 225 legislators… let us all face an inquiry. In your personal lives, those who do not have extra marital affairs, let it be proved, including me... let it come out. Who did what when they were chief ministers... let it come out... what they did in their personal lives. Let there be an inquiry since it’s a question of morality,” Sudhakar told reporters in Bengaluru.

The minister also named former chief ministers Siddaramaiah and H D Kumaraswamy and Congress state chief D K Shivakumar to face the challenge “if their conscience is right”. He added that the probe would bring out the truth on all the elected representatives before the people of the state.

Sudhakar said that such a probe would also reveal which of the legislators were “Eka Patni Vrata” (loyal to his wife) and “Sri Ramachandra”.

The challenge, which was withdrawn by the minister later in the day, came as a response to the Congress’ demands for a court-monitored probe into the alleged sexual exploitation of a woman by former minister Ramesh Jarkiholi on the pretext of providing a job.

Sudhakar is among the six ministers in the B S Yediyurappa-led government who have secured an injunction from a city and sessions court against publication, broadcast and circulation of any material against them.

His remarks evoked a sharp response from leaders belonging to the ruling as well as opposition party, with legislators assuring that they have “one wife and one family”.

“When giving a statement, you should name the person concerned. It is wrong to say that all of them should be inquired. When one person becomes a minister or a legislator, there is some status and respect that they have… they are not like common people since they have been elected,” Narasimha Nayak (Raju Gouda), BJP legislator from Shorapur, said, adding that Sudhakar’s statement was not correct and must be withdrawn.

“I have just one wife and just one family. Am happy he has taken all our names. I think there is something wrong with him,” Shivakumar said. He added that his party would discuss the remark and raise it before the House.

Hitting out at Sudhakar, Kumarsawamy said such a situation would not have arisen if he and his ministerial colleagues had followed propriety.

Recalling that he had once slipped in his private life, he said, I admitted that in the Assembly. Why has he (Sudhakar) brought in my name. I have said it openly.” “These things wouldn’t have come up had you behaved properly and hadn’t gone to court for an injunction. You created these problems, Kumaraswamy said.

“I don’t know the context in which he made those statements but using that word is wrong,” Roopakala M (Roopa Shashidhar) of the Congress said.

H D Revanna of Janata Dal (Secular) said he was willing to undergo any probe and even make a statement in a temple before the gods.

In a letter to the government later, Siddaramaiah, the Congress’ leader of opposition, said the party accepted the challenge and that the chief minister and Speaker should also be among those probed.

Earlier in the day, Siddaramaiah demanded that the Jarkiholi case be supervised by the Chief Justice of Karnataka high court. “We have no faith in the Special Investigation Team (SIT),” he said. He had earlier sought the registration of a rape case against Jarkiholi as the victim, he claimed, said in a video that she was “utilized” and thus, it would amount to rape.

However, in a statement released in the evening, Sudhakar said that his words should not be taken literally and that people should “understand the pain and anguish” behind them.

“No one bothered when Congress deliberately tried to defame and indulge in character assassination of the six ministers. But my statement to introspect themselves has hurt people. I request them not to take the literal meaning of my statement but understand the pain and anguish behind my words,” he said.

“My statement has been misinterpreted and I regret it if it has hurt anyone,” he added.

Meanwhile, finance bills were passed by the Karnataka Legislative Assembly amid staunch protests over the case. The Congress, which continued to agitate for the third consecutive day, trooped into the well of the House and raised slogans against the government.

The Grand Old Party also demanded the resignation of the six ministers who sought injunction from the court.

Yediyurappa, whose reply on the budget discussion was continuously disrupted by the protesting legislators, condemned Congress’ conduct and said people were watching the developments and will teach them a lesson in the days to come.

“As they don’t have any issue they are doing it, I condemn it. People of the state are watching you and will teach a lesson in the days to come, you can’t achieve anything from it,” he was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

After the chief minister’s reply, the Speaker put the appropriation bills, supplementary estimates, and related financial bills including Fiscal Responsibility (Amendment) Bill 2021 that were tabled, to vote, and they were passed amid din.

The Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurements (Amendment) Bill, 2021 was also passed by the assembly.