Uproar after Health Minister K Sudhakar seeks probe into MLAs' personal life
Bengaluru, Mar 24: Karnataka Health Minister K Sudhakar's statement, calling for an investigation into the personal life of all 225 members of the state Assembly to find out how many of them have had illicit or extra-marital relationships, created a flutter in political circles on Wednesday.
As this created an uproar in the Assembly and drew criticism, the Minister later said his statement has been misinterpreted, and expressed regret.
"To those opposition leaders from the Congress and JD(S) who are projecting themselves as Maryada Purushas and Sri Ramachandras, I want to throw a challenge. Let all 225 (MLAs) face an inquiry. Let it be proved who has had illicit relationships or not, including me," Sudhakar had said earlier in the day.
Speaking to reporters here, he said, "Everybodys character will be known. Who did what when they were Chief Ministers. Let everything be inquired. Anyway, this is a question of morality and values, right? Let it involve everyone - Ministers, MLAs, opposition leaders."
Taking the names of Opposition Leader Siddaramaiah, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president D K Shivakumar, former chief minister and JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy, Sudhakar said, "If their conscience is right, let them agree to this proposal and face inquiry."
"They all are Satya Harishchandras. K R Ramesh Kumar, V Muniyappa (Congress leaders), Shivakumar, Siddaramaiah, Kumaraswamy. Theyre following monogamy, right? Let them agree to this (challenge). Let there be inquiry on all 225, people will know the truth. I'm ready for this, he added.
Sudhakar's statement was in response to Congress' demand for the resignation of six Ministers, including him, on moral grounds and for getting injunction from the court against the publication or broadcast of any unverified news about them.
The other five Ministers are: Labour Minister Shivaram Hebbar, Agriculture Minister B C Patil, Cooperation Minister S T Somashekar, Youth Empowerment and Sports Minister Narayana Gowda, and Urban Development Minister Bhyrathi Basavaraj.
They had approached the court for injunction after one of their colleagues Ramesh Jarkiholi resigned earlier this month amid allegations of sexual harassment after the emergence of a purported sex video involving him. He has termed it a fake.
Reacting to Sudhakar's statement, Shivakumar said he has one wife and one family. He said, Im very happy. He (Sudhakar) has given precious words to the state. We will discuss this in the Assembly after discussing with our leaders as it involves everyone."
Hitting out at Sudhakar, Kumarsawamy said such a situation would not have arisen if he and his ministerial colleagues had followed propriety.
Recalling that he had once slipped in his private life, he said, I admitted that in the Assembly. Why has he (Sudhakar) brought in my name. I have said it openly."
"These things wouldnt have come up had you behaved properly and hadnt gone to court for an injunction. You created these problems, Kumaraswamy said.
"Such matters should not be discussed in public. Nobody can claim to be Satya Harishchandra," he added.
Meanwhile, Shorapur MLA Narasimha Nayak (Rajugouda) who is from Sudhakar's own party (BJP), terming the Minister's statement as wrong, demanded that he withdraw it.
While giving the statement he (Sudhakar) should have taken specific names instead of speaking about all 224 MLAs.
We are elected representatives, we have a position in society, so our statement should be made carefully as people will follow it. One should not make such light statements, it is not good for anyone, he said.
Opposition members hit out at Sudhakar stating that he had not even spared the women legislators.
"The 225 MLAs include you (Speaker), me....It's a matter of our honour. I have worked in this house for 30-32 years, I'm pained, no one has made such a statement. There are women MLAs in 225, what will people think of us," senior Congress MLA R V Deshpande said.
Siddaramaiah, noting that Sudhakar has made a sweeping statement and specifically taken his name along with Ramesh Kumar, Shivakumar and Kumaraswamy, said it amounts to breach of privilege of the House.
"He has spoken, including women MLAs, so I urge the Chief Minister to get all 225 MLAs investigated...the Minister has to resign immediately," he said.
As Minister of Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Basavaraj Bommai said the statement was made to the media outside the House and it has nothing to do with it or the government, also the context in which it was made was not known.
Siddaramaiah, raising objections, said Sudhakar is part of the government, he is the Minister.
Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri too expressed displeasure and said no one should speak lightly or in a way that it may create suspicion about the House or its members.
As his statement drew criticism from across partylines, including his own, Sudhakar, in a statement later in the day, said, "I have huge respect for the august House and legislators and I will never do anything that will disrespect the House."
"My words which were expressed due to anguish against the prejudiced statements of opposition leaders have been misinterpreted and blown out of proportion. I have high regard for all legislators...Congress is desperately trying to indulge in character assassination of 6 ministers," he said, adding that his statement has been misinterpreted and he regrets if it has hurt anyone."
ಕೆಲ ನಾಯಕರ ಏಕಪಕ್ಷೀಯ, ಪೂರ್ವಗ್ರಹ ಪೀಡಿತ ಹೇಳಿಕೆಗಳಿಂದ ಬೇಸತ್ತು ಅವರ ನೈತಿಕತೆಯನ್ನು ಪ್ರಶ್ನಿಸಿ ಬೆಳಗ್ಗೆ ನಾನು ಮಾಧ್ಯಮಗಳಿಗೆ ನೀಡಿದ್ದ ಹೇಳಿಕೆ ಬೇರೆ ಬೇರೆ ಆಯಾಮಗಳನ್ನು ಪಡೆದುಕೊಂಡಿದೆ. ಎಲ್ಲಾ ಮಾನ್ಯ ಶಾಸಕ ಮಿತ್ರರ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ನನಗೆ ಅಪಾರವಾದ ಗೌರವ ಇಟ್ಟುಕೊಂಡಿದ್ದೇನೆ.(1/2)
— Dr Sudhakar K (@mla_sudhakar) March 24, 2021
ಹೀಗಾಗಿ ಯಾರಿಗಾದರೂ ನನ್ನ ಹೇಳಿಕೆಯಿಂದ ನೋವಾಗಿದ್ದಲ್ಲಿ ಅದಕ್ಕಾಗಿ ವಿಷಾದ ವ್ಯಕ್ತಪಡಿಸುತ್ತೇನೆ. ನಮ್ಮ ಹದಿನೇಳು ಜನರ ವಿರುದ್ದ ತೇಜೋವಧೆ ಯತ್ನ ನಡೆಸಿದ್ದ ಕೆಲ ನಾಯಕರ ವಿರುದ್ಧ ಮಾತ್ರವೇ ನಾನು ಹೇಳಿಕೆ ನೀಡುವ ಯತ್ನ ಮಾಡಿದ್ದೇನೆಯೇ ಹೊರತು ಎಲ್ಲಾ ಶಾಸಕರಿಗೆ ನೋವು ಉಂಟು ಮಾಡುವ ಉದ್ದೇಶ ನನಗಿಲ್ಲ.(2/2)
— Dr Sudhakar K (@mla_sudhakar) March 24, 2021
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Rupee falls 9 paise to all-time low of 90.58 against US dollar in early trade
Mumbai (PTI): Rupee depreciated 9 paise to an all-time low of 90.58 against US dollar in early trade on Monday, weighed down by uncertainty over an India-US trade deal and persistent foreign fund outflows.
Forex traders said rupee is trading with a negative bias as investors are in wait and watch mode and awaiting cues from the India-US trade deal front.
At the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened at 90.53 against the US dollar, then fell further to an all-time intraday low of 90.58 against the greenback, registering a fall of 9 paise over its previous close.
On Friday, the rupee had slipped 17 paise to close at an all-time low of 90.49 against the American currency.
Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading 0.05 per cent lower at 98.35.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading higher by 0.52 per cent at USD 61.44 per barrel in futures trade.
On the domestic equity market front, the 30-share benchmark index Sensex was trading 298.86 points lower at 84,968.80, while the Nifty was down 121.40 points at 25,925.55.
Foreign Institutional Investors sold equities worth Rs 1,114.22 crore on Friday, according to exchange data.
"FPIs continue to be in selling mode in equity and debt while RBI has been selling dollars to fund their long positions," said Anil Kumar Bhansali, Head of Treasury and Executive Director Finrex Treasury Advisors LLP.
