BJP family secrets in the open
The party government survives on a very slim majority and, thus, is reluctant to act tough against its legislators irrespective of their misconduct.
Ever since the first BJP government was formed in south India in 2008, sex scandals involving its leaders have been surfacing repeatedly in Karnataka. The latest incident of three ministers watching porn clips in the State Assembly and later putting down their papers, has severely dented the image of the ‘party with a difference,’ and lowered the dignity of the State legislature.
What’s more shocking is the way the BJP has been trying to cover up these ‘acts of shame’ and protecting its tainted leaders. The party, whose government has been surviving on very slim majority, is reluctant to act tough against its legislators irrespective of their misconduct. The party even went to the extent of making MLA M P Renukacharya, who was facing the serious charge of sexually abusing a nurse, a cabinet Minister in order to be in power.
In the case of the three ministers - Lakshman Savadi (Co-operation Minister), C C Patil (Women and Child Development Minister) - who were caught watching the video on mobile phone - and Krishna Palemar (Ports Minister to whom the phone belonged), the party only made them resign. The BJP government actually defended them when the opposition parties demanded their immediate disqualification from the Assembly.
Counter attack
It armed its MLAs with a list of sex scandals involving the Congress and other political party leaders in other States, to counter the opposition attack. Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda himself took the lead in defending the tainted BJP leaders. The State BJP has so far not bothered to seek explanation from them, let alone initiating disciplinary action.
The party similarly defended Renukacharya and H Halappa, the then Food and Civil Supplies minister accused of raping his friend’s wife.
Renukacharya was the first party leader to script the sex saga of the BJP government. Jayalakshmi, a nurse, not only openly charged the BJP MLA of sexually abusing her, but released photographs of him posing amorously with her in early 2009. The issue attracted criticism from all quarters, especially women’s organisations. In the same year, Renukacharya was made a cabinet Minister after he led a rebellion against then Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa.
Halappa hit the headlines in May 2010 when a CD released by his alleged victim Chandravati and her husband Venkatesh Murthy, showed the woman lying on a cot wearing a night gown and wiping her tears. Later, the footage showed her sobbing and abusing someone with Halappa leaving the room. The victim had also lodged a complaint in this regard with the Governor.
The issue was, however, given a silent burial after Halappa resigned from his ministerial position. The government handed over the case to Criminal Investigation Department (CID) which is conducting the investigation at its own pace.
Another embarrassment to the Government was when Padmapriya, wife of BJP MLA from Udupi Raghupathi Bhat, disappeared and Minister V S Acharya, who held Home portfolio then, was accused of withholding the information until news of her subsequent suicide broke out.
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