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Porngate panel turns ire on TV channels
The committee formed by the Karnataka assembly to investigate porn watching on the House premises - allegedly by three former ministers - has asked the TV channels concerned why it telecast the visuals without the speaker's permission.
The committee formed by the Karnataka assembly to investigate porn watching on the House premises - allegedly by three former ministers - has asked the TV channels concerned why it telecast the visuals without the speaker's permission.
The three - Lakshmana V Savadi, CC Patil and Krishna J Palemar - had resigned on February 8 under instructions from the BJP leadership.
The committee, formed by assembly speaker KG Bopaiah, under the chairmanship of Srishailappa Bidarur and three other MLAs of the BJP started its inquiry on Wednesday amid a boycott of the proceedings by the Congress and the JD(S).
The committee has so far grilled two TV channels - TV 9 and Suvarna TV.
Lakshmana Hugar of TV9, who was called by the committee on Thursday, told HT he explained to the panel what had happened.
"Our channel had aired the visuals by blurring them and we did the coverage with journalistic ethics. We did not use any content to defame the dignity of the house," he said.
Hameed Palya of Suvarna TV, who was also called by the committee on Wednesday, told HT the committee had asked him who gave permission to air the visuals and whether it was not the channel's responsibility not to cover such incidents except the proceedings.
"I replied to them we had no personal interest," he added.
Karnataka CM Sadananda Gowda said the government would not take any steps to restrict the media's entry into the House.
