Karnataka health minister, K Sudhakar called for a monogamy test for all the state legislators to check how sincere they were to their spouses, thus creating a stir. He said an appropriate probe would help expose their private lives and illicit affairs.
His demand did not go down well with most of the legislators, including some from his own party. One of his party colleagues said the minister should immediately withdraw his statement. It would have been appropriate if he had taken specific names instead of generalising, he added.
The health minister was responding to Opposition Congress’ demand for his resignation, along with that of his five colleagues, after they had approached the court for an injunction against any defamatory publication or broadcast against them.
The plea came after a sex tape, allegedly involving their former colleague and water resources minister, Ramesh Jarkiholli, was released.
The minister told newsmen that he wanted to expose those who were projecting themselves as ‘saints’, and so wanted a monogamy test. He also lashed out at the Opposition for not allowing the Assembly to function properly and claimed that the Opposition parties are not interested in development and did not have any concrete agenda.
Today’s development followed the ensuing controversy over a sex scandal allegedly involving Ramesh Jarkiholli and the Opposition’s demand for a probe into the matter by a judge of the high court. The state government has defended its move to set up a Special Investigation Team even as the minister concerned resigned from his post, which chief minister B S Yediyurappa claimed, was on moral grounds.
Referring to former chief ministers, Siddaramiah of Congress, H D Kumaraswamy of JDS, besides D K Shivakumar, state Congress president, the minister said that as they “embodied the idea of truth”, they should accept the challenge.
This drew a quick reaction from D K Shivakumar, who said, “I have one wife and one family”, adding that the matter would be discussed in the Assembly.