Karnataka minister defends deputy CM, who watched porn in Assembly
Weeks after he was sworn-in as Karnataka's Chief Minister for the fourth time, BS Yediyurappa, got a new Cabinet and three deputy CMs. The elevation of one of them, Laxman Savadi, sparked an uproar as he was caught watching porn in the Assembly in 2012. As the past ghosts returned to haunt Savadi, Karnataka Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs JC Madhuswamy defended him.
In what became a major embarrassment for BJP, Savadi and two other ministers, CC Patil and Krishna Palemar, were caught watching porn when the Assembly was in session. Hoping to curtail the controversy which followed, Savadi said they were watching the clip for "educational purposes" (yes, that's what he said). Later, all three resigned, but Savadi and Patil are back in the newly-formed Cabinet.
"The Assembly was getting ready to discuss a rave party scandal in Mangaluru, and somebody had shared a clip of how rapes happen during such parties. We were only trying to understand the situation so that we could debate in the House," Savadi had said.
So, when Savadi, who didn't even win last year's Assembly elections, was made the deputy CM, questions were raised. Yediyurappa's close aide MLA MP Renukacharya asked, "What was the necessity or urgency to induct him (Savadi) as a minister even though he lost the election?" Meanwhile, Congress' Dinesh Gundu Rao said, "Jail-return is CM [BS Yediyurappa] and person who watched porn is deputy CM."
As the controversy raged, with former CM Siddaramaiah reminding that the incident happened inside the Assembly, Madhuswamy defended Savadi. "Watching the video in Vidhana Soudha isn't an accusation of treason. It should morally not be done but it is not treason. Accidentally watching a video is not a big issue. Everyone speaks something wrong. It cannot be pulled up repeatedly," he said on Thursday.
"He has not cheated anyone or committed any treason that calls for punishment. There is no point criticizing him for the same," Madhuswamy told reporters in Tumakuru. Well, Mr. Minister, what about slipping down the moral slope with your actions? Doesn't that matter?
Savadi definitely comes with a lot of baggage, but BJP made him deputy CM, nevertheless. Some reports suggest his induction was cleared by the party's top brass in New Delhi, on the recommendation of an unknown Gujarati leader said to be close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. Others claim Savadi was "rewarded" for playing role in coalition government's collapse.
Interestingly, Savadi belongs to the Lingayat community, which wholeheartedly supported BJP. His oratory and organizational skills are well-known. "He promised the BJP leadership he would successfully bring in a few legislators from the Congress, especially from north Karnataka and he delivered," a senior BJP member told The Print, while disclosing that Savadi is now being "groomed" for a bigger role by BJP high command.
