Ramesh Jarkiholi submitted his resignation to the Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa after allegations of sexual abuse surfaced against him.
Karnataka Water Resources Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi on Wednesday resigned from the post and submitted his resignation to the Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa after allegations of sexual abuse surfaced against him. Mr Jarkiholi resigned after an alleged sex tape was aired on television channels that showed him getting intimate with a young unidentified woman, along with audio conversations between the two.
Mr Jarkiholi denied the allegations and submitted the resignation on "moral grounds." “The allegations against me are far from the truth, an investigation is needed to prove the truth. Though I have faith of being proven innocent, I am submitting my resignation on moral grounds. Please accept my resignation,” the letter given to the Chief Minister by Mr Jarkiholi stated. Earlier, as the video surfaced, he appeared adamant over not quitting. He had claimed the video fake and said he would resign and quit politics only if allegations against him are proved. Eventually, he had to resign amid pressure from the party as the allegations had embarrassed BJP ahead of by elections and bypolls.
Activist Dinesh Kallahalli who was approached by the family of the woman filed a complaint on Tuesday with the Cubbon Park police in Bengaluru against Ramesh Jarkiholi alleging him of sexual harassment. However, a case has not been registered officially.
His brother and BJP MLA Balachandra Jarkiholi has sought a CBI probe into the matter and threatened to file a Rs 100 crore suit against those who released the video. Ramesh Jarkiholi, an MLA from Golak, was the key person to defect 17 Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) MLAs to the BJP in 2019 that helped the party to come to power in Karnataka.
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