Bengaluru: Karnataka Water & Resources minister Ramesh Jarkiholi resigned from his post on Wednesday after an alleged video showing him seeking sexual favours from a women went viral recently. Though the Bharatiya Janata Party leader quit from Karnataka cabinet, but he maintained that the allegations levelled against him were fake. However, he said he was quitting his ministerial berth on moral grounds.
“The allegations are far from the truth. There should be an immediate investigation into this. I believe that I am innocent but I resign on moral grounds. Kindly accept my resignation,” he wrote in a letter.
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A CD emerged on Tuesday which showed allegedly containing recordings of his intimate moments with the woman which was submitted to Bengaluru Police by an activist on Wednesday.
In the viral video clip, Jarkiholi can be seen seeking sexual favours from an unidentified woman with the offer of a government job. The video went viral after several Kannada television channels aired the images from the alleged 'sex CD' that claimed to have the BJP leader in a compromising position with the woman.
As per reports, Jarkiholi on Wednesday sent his resignation letter to Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa following allegations of sexual harassment against him. According to sources, Jarkiholi tendered his resignation after directions from the party high command.
The entire incident comes as a major embarrassment to the BS Yediyurappa-led Karnataka government ahead of the Budget session which is scheduled to start from Thursday.
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Speaking about the viral video clip, Karnataka home minister Basavraj Bommai said that police will inquire into the allegations of sexual harassment against Jarkiholi. Even the BJP leader himself and his brother and MLA Balachandra Jarkiholi have sought inquiry into the allegations.
Ramesh Jarkiholi is an MLA from Gokak and was earlier with the Congress party. He is said to be among the chief architects in causing the downfall of the Congress-JD(S) coalition government in Karnataka which eventually paved the way for the BJP to come to power in the state.