Mangalore, February 13: Mangalore MLA U T Khader on Monday reiterated the Congress party's demand that the MLAs involved in the porngate should be disqualified from Assembly.
Addressing a press meet here Mr Khader said that stringent legal action shout be taken against those who caught watching porn during Assembly proceedings as they had desecrated the temple of democracy.
However, Mr Khader said that he was not sure if the mobile phone in which former ministers Laxman Savadi and C C Patil were watching the pornographic clippings in the Assembly belonged to former minister Krishna J Palemar. However, he said that in case the mobile did belong to Palemar then a case should be booked and action should be taken against him.
Mr Khader denied the rumours that he had forwarded the porn clips to Mangalore North MLA Krishna J Palemar, with whom he shared a cordial relationship.
The mobile phone, on which the BJP MLAs Laxman Savadi and CC Patil caught watching porn, belonged to Mr Palemar. As some television footages showed Palemar and Khader watching something on latter's mobile a couple of hour before the porngate scandal, rumours had erupted that Khader had forwarded the obscene clips.
“I was showing the pictures of some bad roads in the district captured by myself to Palemar. I also showed my little daughters photo to him”, Khader said.
Mr Khader lamented that even though Mr Palemar had already clarified the same to media, some people were deliberately trying to drag his name in the porngate.
He said that later he felt that using mobile phone inside the Assembly was his mistake. “But, I feel that there should be a provision to use mobile phones inside the Assembly on some occasions as it is the age of technology”, he said. However, no one should misuse it, he added.
Mr Khader alleged that the BJP Government in the State had failed in the last four years to fulfil promises made to the people.
He said that the Government had failed in enhancing the power generation. “Not even one MW of power has been added in the last four years,” Mr. Khader said. The Government had not taken up any viable project for the growth of Dakshina Kannada, he alleged.
Mr. Khader took potshots at Chief Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda's statement on pothole-free roads. “He first assured of filling potholes by December.
The deadline was then extended till January. Even in the second week of February there has not been any significant progress.” Mr. Khader said the Government should first clear bills of contractors. “The Government should immediately call a meeting of legislators to discuss this issue,” he said.
Mr. Khader said delay in releasing Rs. 1 crore grant for each MLA was hindering him from carrying out development activities. “So far, only Rs. 64 lakh has been released.”
Mr. Khader said the State Government was yet to implement the Sixth Pay Commission recommendations for the State government employees.
He expressed his dissatisfaction over the poor utilisation of funds under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Generation scheme.
Palemar confirms
Confirming Khader's statement Mr Palemar said that he had discussed a few things with the former on the day of porngate.
“Khader was peeved about bad roads in his constituency. He showed me pictures of bad roads on his mobile. There were pictures of Khader's child too. I enquired about his daughter. The discussion veered to which is better: iPad or the Galaxy Note”, Mr Palemar said.
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