Over 15 MLAs watched porn besides 3 ex-ministers: Panel member

In a dramatic twist to the porngate scandal, a member of the Karnataka Assembly panel probing the incident on Sunday claimed more than 15 MLAs, including Opposition members, had watched the sleazy clippings that led to the resignation of three ministers.

"We have definite information that more than 15 legislators saw those tapes inside the Assembly on that day. They belong to all the three main parties (BJP, Congress and JD-S)," Nehru Olekar, one of the four BJP members of the committee, told reporters in Haveri.

Olekar said it was not just the three former ministers who watched the sleaze tape, but several others belonging to all the three major parties had watched it in the Assembly while its proceedings were on.

Lakshman Savadi, CC Patil and Krishna Palemar resigned as Ministers a day after they were caught on camera watching porn tapes in the Assembly on February 7 with regional TV channels telecasting their act evoking national outrage and causing severe embarrassment to the BJP.

Assembly Speaker KG Bopaiah has set up the House committee but members of Congress and JDS have been boycotting the proceedings demanding summary disqualification of the three MLAs.

Olekar, who is also the Chairman of the Commission for Development of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, said the House Committee would hold its next sitting on March 8 in Bangalore and will examine witnesses.

"We have also issued notices to the three former ministers to appear before the committee on March 8 at 11 am," he added.