Unforeseen controversy erupted in the Congress in Karnataka on one of the most controversial days in the state, Tipu Jayanti.
At a public function in Raichur to mark the occasion, the minister for primary and secondary education as well as minority affairs, Tanveer Sait, was caught on camera allegedly watching pornographic material on his mobile phone. According to reports, the crew of a regional Kannada channel TV 9 zoomed in on the minister scrolling images on the device, which seemed to have included some of semi-clad women. Sait, however, refuted the allegations.
"I was collecting information about celebrations across the state," he said, adding that the incriminating photographs had popped up from a WhatsApp group while he was trying to find out news of the festivities in his home town, Mysuru.
BV Naik, member of parliament from Raichur, who was seated next to him, flatly denied the claims against Sait as well. "I was with the minister for 90 minutes; he was not looking at any obscene photos," he said.
The opposition, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), was having none of it though. The BJP state president BS Yeddyurappa tweeted, "Karnataka's Edu Minister Sh.Tanveer Sait should be sacked immediately who was caught on camera watching pictures which were allegedly porn."
Soon a chorus joined in, with party MLA, Prahlad Joshi, adding that BJP would demonstrate against the Congress if Sait is not sacked from his ministerial post immediately.
But the BJP hardly has reasons to feel holier than its rival.
In February 2012, two BJP ministers, Lakshman Savadi and C. C. Patil, were also found watching pornographic clips in the Karnataka assembly while the session was on. Their colleague, J Krishna Palemar, had reportedly forwarded these clips to them. After a huge outcry from the Congress, led by the present chief minister Siddaramaiah, all three resigned from their ministerial posts.
Irony has now come a full circle, though neither Siddaramaiah nor home minister G Parameshwara seemed to know about the incident in Raichur. However, a party spokesperson has said appropriate action will be taken against Sait after the matter has been fully investigated.
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