In an apparent bid to give a clean chit to Minister Tanvir Sait, facing flak for allegedly looking at sleazy pictures on his mobile at a public function, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah todaysaid "prima facie" he did not feel that his colleague hascommitted any "mistake".
"Going by his (Sait's) statement and report that he has given, prima facie I don't feel that he has committed any mistake, because he is seen scrolling," Siddaraamih told reporters here.
He said "What he (Sait) has said is - it was TipuJayanti that day and he was going through messages on what was happening in Mysuru, Kodagu, Chitradurga, and has not done anything as being alleged."
Sait, who is the Minister for Primary and Secondary Education, had on Thursday waded into a controversy after video footage emerged showing him purportedly watching pictures of skimpily clad girls on his mobile on dais at a public function to mark Tipu Jayanti celebrations in Raichur district.
He had yesterday met Siddaramaiah and explained his position offering to face any probe into the incident that hasprompted the Opposition to demand his resignation.
Asked whether he was satisfied with the clarification given by Sait, the Chief Minister said "the government will not sit quite by accepting his report, we will get it enquired."
To a question on BJP demanding Sait's ouster pending any enquiry, he said "We can't go by what ever BJP says." Based on Sait's complaint Raichur Police had booked a reporter and a cameraman of a news channel, who had taken the controversial footage, under IPC section 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace).
Clarifying on this, the minister has said thatthe complaint against the TV news channel journalists was made with an intention to obtain raw footage of the incident.
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