Congress MLA H Y Meti resigned, after a sex tape allegedly involving him was released in public

BENGALURU: Four months into the Karnataka cabinet, excise minister and senior Congress MLA H Y Meti on Wednesday resigned after a sex tape allegedly involving him was released in public.

While it is claimed the tape is 30 minutes long, the clipping which was released to the regional Kannada television channels was of 30 seconds only. The clipping does not show the women with whom Meti is alleged to be involved, but shows the minister, with his trademark spectacles, indulging in a kind of sexual act.

As soon as the sex tape was released to regional Kannada television channels, Meti went to Krishna, the home office of chief minister Siddaramaiah, to submit his resignation.

Siddaramaiah accepted his resignation and forwarded the same to governor Vajubhai Vala to give his assent.

Later speaking to the media, Siddaramaiah said: “Meti submitted his resignation voluntarily on moral grounds and I have accepted it, after the CD was released. I have also ordered a CID inquiry into the entire episode to get to the truth of the incident, after the minister claimed that it was a conspiracy against him and that he was trapped in the act.”

Siddaramaiah said there was no embarrassment to the government, and that Meti’s resignation was not sought for. When pointed out that this is the second incident involving his ministers, earlier primary and secondary education minister Tanveer Sait was caught watching sleaze pictures on camera, Siddaramaiah said: “Tanveer Sait was cleared of all charges by the CID. His was not a case parellel to this CD. Even this CD does not mean admission of guilt by Meti. It is only that he has submitted it on moral grounds.”

The sex scandal rocked the state earlier last week, after an RTI activist Rajashekar complained of death threats from the minister and his camp for saying he had a sex tape on him. The 71-year-old excise minister was defended by senior Congress ministers in the state, like higher education minister Basavaraj Rayareddi, citing Meti’s age and giving him the “benefit of the doubt”.

Bureau Report