Porn scandal: Gowda slams Cong as it steps up attack on BJP

 Facing the heat on porn scandal, Karnataka Chief Minister D V Sadanada Gowda today accused Congress of engaging in petty politics, even as the opposition stepped up its attack demanding the resignation of the BJP government over the issue.

"We need not learn lessons of morality from Congress leaders. The whole world knows about the scams the Congress leaders faced. I myself can cite at least 25 such instances that involved Congress leaders", Gowda told reporters.

Hitting back at Congress a day after three ministers resigned after being caught on camera viewing porno clippings on mobile phones during assembly proceedings, Gowda said the three had quit voluntarily and had even demanded a probe.

He said a House Committee of the assembly has been set up to enquire into it and Congress should wait for its report.

Congress has ruled the nation for about 60 years and several scams have "surfaced against its leaders", he said.

The Chief Minister's attack came even as Congress members staged a dharna in front of the Vidhana Soudha, the state secretariat, demanding BJP government's resignation and disqualification of three former ministers from assembly membership.

Congress legislators headed by Opposition leader in the assembly Siddaramaiah and KPCC chief G Parameshwara staged the dharna, shouting slogans against the BJP government.

Addressing the legislators, Parameshwara and Siddaramaiah said the BJP government has been facing one scandal or the other ever since it came to power four years ago.
They said there was no need for any house committee to probe the matter and Speaker K G Bopaiah should disqualify them from the assembly membership.

Embarrassed by the episode involving Laxman Savadi, C C Patil and Krishna Palemar, the BJP had yesterday asked them to step down as ministers after a public and Opposition outcry.