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‘Conspiracy, fake videos’: BJP’s Ramesh Jarkiholi on alleged sex tape row
The former minister said that he resigned by himself and was never asked to step down from the cabinet. He said that it was more important for him to get back the lost respect of his family.
BJP MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi, who had stepped down as Karnataka's water resources minister on March 3 amid allegations of sexual harassment against him, said on Tuesday that he was aware of the political conspiracy being hatched against him for around four months.
"I knew about this conspiracy four months ago (and) was warned about it. If I had got scared, I could have done something about it," Jarkiholi said, addressing the media formally for the first time since the sex-scandal rocked the BS Yediyurappa-led Karnataka government.
"I got a call 26 hours in advance from the high command, from my well wishers that your CD will be released by 5-6 pm the next day. They asked me to take precautionary legal action but I still did not do it. This is a major political conspiracy," he added, almost choking on words.
The former minister said that he resigned by himself and was never asked to step down from the cabinet. He said that it was more important for him to get back the lost respect of his family.
"No matter how much it costs or how powerful they (alleged conspirators) are, will not spare them until we jail them," said the former minister.
The withdrawal of the complaint by social activist Dinesh Kalahalli has given the BJP legislator confidence to counter the charges.
Since the complaint by Kalahalli, the Gokak MLA was forced to resign from his post in the cabinet.
Kalahalli had alleged that Jarkiholi had sexually exploited an unnamed woman on the false promise of getting her a job in the Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Limited (KPTCL).
Jarkiholi has called the video fake. His brother Balachandra Jarkiholi on Sunday said that the conspirators spent over ₹15 crore to upload the video in Russia.
Ramesh added to the theory, stating that the entire conspiracy was hatched in two apartments around Yeshwantpur area of Bengaluru. He said that there are two main conspirators and at least seven more behind them who hatched the plan. He refused to divulge any more details.
Ramesh was one of the first of at least 17 legislators to defect from the HD Kumaraswamy-led Janata Dal (Secular) or JD(S)-Congress coalition government in 2019.
Ramesh thanked Kumaraswamy and his family for standing by him during the entire episode.
Kumaraswamy had alleged that a "deal" of ₹5 crore was struck in the case.
Six other ministers who defected from the JD(S) have also approached the courts, seeking an injunction on any future publishing or broadcasting of any defamatory content against them.
The Karnataka government is also drafting a legislation that aims to check and punish those who try to defame eminent personalities and politicians.
