Sex scandals in Karnataka politics: A look at sexual harassment charges against MLAs, ministers

Ramesh Jarkiholi is the fourth minister to resign from the Cabinet over such charges

Following allegations of sexual harassment, Karnataka Water Resources Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi resigned from the Karnataka Cabinet on Wednesday.

His resignation came after protests and criticism by Opposition parties and several sections of society, causing a huge embarrassment to the government and the ruling BJP. In his resignation letter to Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa just ahead of the cabinet meeting this afternoon, Jarkiholi claimed he was innocent.

Also read: Ramesh Jarkiholi is 4th minister to resign over ‘impropriety’ in Karnataka

However, Jarkiholi's case is not the first in Karnataka politics. He is the fourth minister to resign from the Cabinet over such charges, since the first case in 1973.

Prakash Rathod

Congress MLC Prakash Rathod in January 2021 was alleged to have been scrolling through obscene videos on his mobile phone while sitting in the Legislative Council. Parts of a video clip captured by some television channels showed him scrolling through some images on his phone. However, the content was not clearly visible.

Reacting to questions on these allegations later, Rathod claimed he was not watching anything obscene. "I was looking for content pertaining to questions that I had raised in the House. I realised that my gallery was cluttered. I was only deleting some images from there. There was no obscene content in it," Rathod said.

Hartal Halappa

Hartal Halappa, the then Food and Civil Supplies Minister in the BJP government (2008-13), was forced to resign from the Cabinet in 2010 after rape allegations were levelled against him. He was subsequently acquitted.

Also read: Karnataka Water Resources Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi resigns over sex scandal in setback for BJP

Aravind Limbavali

In 2019, BJP’s Aravind Limbavali, suspecting the involvement of political rivals in the release of a video showing him as purportedly involved in a sexual scandal, had filed a police complaint.

H Y Meti

In 2016, a CD of the then excise minister H Y Meti was released by an RTI activist, purportedly showing the minister in a compromising position with a woman, who allegedly approached him seeking help.

S A Ramdas

In 2014, grave allegations of marrying a woman in secret and harassing her by frequent transfers to avoid her were levelled against Ramdas, a three-time MLA and also a Cabinet minister in the previous BJP government.

3 other BJP leaders

In the 'porngate' episode involving three BJP leaders Lakshman Savadi, C C Patil, and Krishna Palemar had to lose their portfolios after being caught watching pornographic content inside the Legislative Assembly in 2012.

(With DHNS, PTI inputs)