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

Kannada news channels widely aired video clips purportedly showing Jarkiholi getting intimate with the unidentified woman

Ramesh Jarkiholi tendered his resignation as Water Resources Minister on Wednesday, following the controversy over the alleged 'sex for job' scandal.

His resignation came hours after a video was leaked to TV channels of the minister getting intimate with a woman. Social activist Dinesh Kallahalli had filed a complaint at Cubbon Park police station on Tuesday evening, alleging that Ramesh Jarkiholi had threatened the woman, whom he had lured assuring a job in Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Limited.

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Ramesh had initially refused to step down. His brother and BJP MLA Balachandra Jarkiholi had met Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Wednesday morning demanding a CBI or CID probe into the leak. However, the Chief Minister asked him to resign from the post to prevent further embarrassment to the government ahead of the upcoming Budget Session.

"Allegations against me are far from truth and a probe should be constituted soon. Even though I am confident of emerging innocent, I am tendering my resignation from the state Cabinet on moral grounds," Ramesh wrote in his resignation letter.

Yediyurappa is learnt to have assured of inducting him to the Cabinet again, if he was cleared of the charges levelled against him.

BJP National General Secretary B L Santosh spoke to Ramesh Jarkiholi and convinced him to resign to avoid embarrassment to the government, sources said.

The minister was under immense pressure from government and BJP leaders, who had pressed for the resignation. State president Nalin Kumar Kateel is learnt to have spoken to BJP general secretary and Karnataka in-charge Arun Singh about the developments.

Meanwhile, supporters of Ramesh Jarkiholi staged a protest against his resignation.