mangalore today

Karnataka Minister quits on "Moral grounds" amid row over alleged sex tape


Mangalore Today News Network

Bengaluru, Mar 03, 2021:      Karnataka Water Resources Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi has resigned on "moral grounds" after an alleged sex tape was aired by local news channels.


Ramesh Jarkiholi


"Allegations against me are far from the truth. Clear investigation is needed. I’ll come out innocent and I’m confident about it. I’m resigning on moral grounds and I request you to accept this," Ramesh Jarkiholi said in his resignation letter addressed to Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa.

Ramesh Jarkiholi gave his resignation after directions from the BJP high command, news agency PTI reported. BJP national general secretary in-charge of Karnataka Arun Singh is said to have communicated the party’s decision to the state leadership, keeping in mind upcoming assembly elections in five states and panchayat polls in Karnataka, PTI reported.

His brother and BJP MLA Balachandra Jarkiholi has sought a CBI probe into the matter and threatened to file a ₹ 100 crore suit against those who released the "fake CD".

The purported video showing the Karnataka minister getting intimate with an unidentified woman were widely aired by Kannada news channels.

"The woman who they claim has faced injustice, her identity is not known. Someone gives the complaint claiming her relatives insisted on it... taking that complaint itself is wrong because the person affected has to give the complaint, not someone on the street," Balachandra Jarkiholi said, defending his brother.
The allegation, just ahead of the budget session of the Karnataka assembly starting to

morrow, comes as a huge embarrassment to the BS Yediyurappa-led BJP government.

Ramesh Jarkiholi, an MLA from Gokak, who was earlier with the Congress, was among the chief architects in causing the downfall of the Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) coalition government, paving the way for the BJP to come to power in Karnataka.

Activist Dinesh Kallahalli on Tuesday filed a police complaint against Ramesh Jarkiholi, alleging him of sexual harassment to a "job aspirant" and threatening her and family.Ramesh Jarkiholi had said he was "shocked" to hear the allegations and the video was "100 per cent fake".