Deadline for replies by disgraced Karnataka MLAs ends tomorrow

Three Karnataka Ministers, who quit over the porn scandal, are expected to furnish tomorrow their replies to the showcause notice served to them by Assembly Speaker K G Bopaiah seeking explanation on their conduct.

The Speaker had on February 8 slapped the showcause notice on Laxman Savadi, C C Patil and Krishna Palemar, following their resignation a day after being caught on TV cameras watching a sleazy video on a mobile phone in the Assembly. He had directed them to submit their written replies by 10.30 am tomorrow.

Sources in BJP said the party was providing legal advice to the tainted former ministers in preparing their reply to the showcause notice. After receiving the replies, Bopaiah would decide on setting up the House Inquiry committee that he had announced to probe the issue.

The proposed six-member committee, which is to comprise two members each from BJP, opposition Congress and JD(S), had been given time till March 12 to submit its report.

Congress and JD(S) have refused to nominate members to the panel demanding the Speaker to take suo moto decision and disqualify the trio from their Assembly membership.