Here’s What Jarkiholi Allegedly Said About Karnataka CM Yediyurappa in Sex Tape
After Karnataka’s water resources minister Ramesh Jarkiholi resigned from his post on Wednesday after a CD purportedly showed him seeking sexual favours from a woman, reports say the BJP leader criticised state Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa during the conversation in the tape, and praised Congress leader Siddaramaiah.
Jarkiholi has meanwhile maintained that the allegations were fake but that he was quitting on moral grounds.
An India Today report said that Jarkiholi can be heard allegedly saying that while Congress leader Siddaramaiah was “good”, Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa “has done too much corruption”. He is also purportedly heard saying that Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi would be the chief minister.
Jarkiholi had allegedly enticed the unidentified woman in the video clip with the offer of a government job. Several Kannada television channels aired images and photos from the ‘sex CD’ that allegedly featured him in a compromising position with the woman.
There was also an intimate audio conversation between the two. During the conversation, Jarkiholi is heard luring the woman with a government job and admonishing her not to speak loudly since it is Karnataka Bhavan (in Delhi). The veracity of the clip has not been independently confirmed.
The report by India Today mentions that the woman allegedly asks Jarkiholi about whether in Belgaum, Marathi and Kannadigas “fight a lot”. To this, he replies: “Marathis are good people. Kannadigas don’t have any work to do. Siddaramaiah is good. Yediyurappa has done too much corruption.”
The woman then allegedly asks him if he will the CM as he is always going to Delhi. “Pralhad Joshi will be CM,” Jarkiholi is heard replying.
After the reports emerged, Congress leader DK Shivakumar said it was not just a sex scandal. “The minister in the video says CM is corrupt. CM has to answer to it. The ball is in their court now. I am guessing BJP is sensible and they will take the right decision,” he said.