Sex for job: Karnataka Water Resources Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi resigns

Bengaluru, Mar 03: In a recent development, BJP leader 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 media channels of the minister getting intimate with a woman. Meanwhile, 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.

Initially, the BJP leader had 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.

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

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.

What is the scandal all about?

The CD was released to the media by social activist Dinesh Kalahalli, who allegedly said that the woman in the video clips was enticed by the minister with a government job offer at Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Limited.

However, the activist said the family members of the woman approached him seeking justice earlier this week following which he lodged a sexual harassment complaint with Cubbon Park police.

In the video, the Water Resources minister can be heard saying, "Siddaramaiah is good...Yediyurappa has done too much corruption...Pralhad Joshi will be CM."

Meanwhile, the Congress wasted no time slamming the government over the issue, with Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah demanding Jarkiholi's immediate resignation.

"If that party (BJP) has shame and if they respect human values immediately they have to take his resignation," he said.

Jarkiholi claimed that the video was "fake" and called it a "political conspiracy". "This is a political conspiracy. The video is fake. Let there be a full investigation. Culprits should be booked. I don't know anyone," he said.