Indian ministers quit in parliament smut flick scandal
'It wasn't porn, it was a real-life rape' claims one
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Three former ministers in the Indian state of Karnataka have until Monday to explain themselves to the Speaker of the local assembly after they were allegedly caught watching porn on a mobile phone during a debate in the House.
The trio, accused of ogling the grumble flick in the state assembly building in tech town Bangalore earlier this week, resigned amid widespread outrage and condemnation. All three - Krishna J Palemar, Laxman Savadi and C C Patil – hail from the conservative ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
And according to CNN, Patil, who was minister for women and child development, also recently made comments suggesting that female rape victims were to blame for wearing provocative clothing.
All three have denied any wrongdoing: Savadi, the minister for co-operation, said the clip he was watching was not porn but footage of a real-life rape of a woman by four men as part of an investigation into the dangers of the rave scene.
The Porngate scandal first broke on Tuesday after TV cameras in the House appeared to show Savadi sharing a salacious clip with Patil on the phone belonging to Palemar, the minister for ports, science and technology.
The BJP, which is known for its hardline stance on issues of sex and morality, has stood behind the men and will not expel or suspend the three.
In a deft political move which would have The Thick of It’s foul-mouthed spin doctor Malcolm Tucker cooing with approval, Speaker K G Bopaiah has ordered an inquiry into the matter which will report in a month’s time. ®
