Karnataka Water Resources Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi, who is embroiled in the ‘sex for favours’ scandal, has offered to resign from his position in the Karnataka cabinet. He sent a formal resignation letter to Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Wednesday afternoon.
In the resignation letter, Ramesh Jarkiholi claimed that he is innocent of the charges being levelled against him but that he is taking moral responsibility and resigning in view of the accusations. He has also expressed hope that he will soon be acquitted of all charges.
The minister’s fate unravelled quickly after social activist Dinesh Kallahall lodged a police complaint against the Minister for alleged sexual harassment of a job aspirant. The complaint by Kallahalli said that Ramesh Jarkiholi sought sexual favours from the aspirant in return for a government job. Videos of the woman and the minister were shared widely by television channels in the state on Tuesday and a CD with the videos on it was also shared with the Bengaluru police.
A non-cognisable report was filed at the Cubbon Park Police Station in Bengaluru but a first information report (FIR) is yet to be registered in the case. Senior police officials told TNM that the police have begun an inquiry and are verifying the identity of the woman.
Hours after the CD was made public, Jarkiholi refused to resign as the Water Resources Minister, alleging this to be a conspiracy of his political opponents. Sources in CMO confirmed to TNM that the Chief Minister spoke to Balachandra Jarkiholi, Ramesh’s brother to persuade to resign in light of the sex tape also containing incriminating conversations including calling the CM corrupt and most importantly offering government job in exchange for sexual services.
Several protests were seen across the state, particularly in north Karnataka from where Ramesh Jarkiholi hails. The Opposition too was demanding the resignation failing which the CM should sack Jarkiholi from the cabinet and order an inquiry into the claims made in the video.
Ramesh Jarkiholi was a member of Indian National Congress until he defected to the BJP in 2019. He is believed to be the major reason for the fall of the Congress-JD(S) coalition government two years back.
A sugar baron in the Belgavi district, Ramesh Jarkiholi contested in 2018 polls for Belgavi’s Gokak, the constituency his family has ruled over for 15 years, seat on a Congress ticket. As soon as he was elected, he is believed to have been approached by BJP. His ticket was disqualified after he defected to BJP but later won the bypolls of the Gokak constituency on a BJP ticket. This was his sixth victory in the region following which he was appointed Water Resources Minister.