Karnataka porngate: Minister's act 'unintentional', says panel

Bangalore: The Karnataka Legislature Committee which probed the infamous porn viewing scandal has indicted a former minister and recommended his “admonition” but gave a clean chit to two others while proposing a ban on the use of mobiles in the House. The panel headed by BJP MLA, Srishailappa V Bidarur in its report tabled in the state assembly has concluded that there is a prima facie evidence that former minister Laxman Savadi had watched sleazy clippings on a mobile that did not belong to him but said it was “unintentional”. “There is no evidence to suggest that former minister CC Patil viewed porn clippings on mobile and Krishna Palemar was responsible for providing it”, the report said. [caption id=“attachment_261631” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“The suspension of the three MLAs has been withdrawn following the tabling of the report. Reuters”]  [/caption] The Committee said there were some similarities in the visuals viewed on mobile by Savadi and the clippings contained in a pen drive with him. However, when the mobile was kept on, the member was also reading an order of government and the action of watching the sleazy clippings was not intentional. “As Savadi has already apologised to the committee for using mobile inside the house and the trio faced suspension from the assembly proceedings in the last one and a half months as punishment, the Speaker may warn him not to resort to such things in future and admonish him,” it said. It also recommended banning use of mobiles in the house and setting up an Ethics Committee for issues related to violation of discipline and rules inside and outside the house to ensure such such ugly incidents do not recur. The committee recommended framing of guidelines for covering the house proceedings by media and also proposed the legislature launching its own television channel. Savadi and Patil were caught on video watching the blue film clippings inside the house on 7 February  in the first of its kind incident in the state’s legislative history, triggering a national outrage. Savadi, Patil and Palemar quit the ministry the next day under BJP high command directive. Speaker KG Bopaiah set up a seven-member committee to probe the issue, but two Congress members and another of JDS quit the panel, reducing it to an all-BJP members committee. The Committee held five sittings, summoned three accused MLAs and also representatives of the regional TV channels which telecast the viewing episode. The suspension of the three MLAs has been withdrawn following the tabling of the report. PTI