Congress resorts to dharna in Karnataka house in CD case, demands resignations

The opposition Congress in Karnataka resorted to a sit-in in the well of the assembly on Tuesday demanding resignation of six ministers for moving a court to overcome a suspected blackmail threat, and an independent probe led by the high court chief justice into the CD with a video clipping that allegedly showed former minister Ramesh Jarkiholi in the company of a woman.

The Congress members also wanted the government to charge the former minister for alleged “sexual assault”. The Congress leaders, including former chief minister Siddaramaiah, state Congress president DK Shivakumar and former ministers HK Patil and Ramesh Kumar, who spoke at length on the alleged CD scam, sought a comprehensive and independent investigation to unravel facts.

They began a dharna in the well of the House, refusing to settle for an inquiry by the special investigation team which the government has ordered with police officers leading it. Siddaramaiah was particularly critical of the six ministers for approaching a local court and securing an order to restrain TV channels from airing any scandalous clippings that would malign their image. The former CM has sought to know why the six ministers did not approach the police if they had information of being blackmailed.


The government, home minister Basavaraj Bommai said, had provided its reply to the House, but the Congress was trying to do politics over the issue.