Sleazegate: Technology spares none

BANGALORE, INDIA: Two ministers were caught watching a porn clip on a smartphone when the Assembly was in session discussing the problems faced by people, who had voted them to power. Sleazy. For, one of them was the women and child welfare minister. To call it a shameless act is an understatement.

Apparently, Mangalore in-charge minister Krishna Palemar sent a porn clip to co-operation minister Lakshman Savadi, who watched it along with Karnataka women and child welfare minister C C Patil. All three resigned, reportedly voluntarily.

It wasn't so much voluntary if we hear what Savadi said earlier: "I have done nothing wrong and I will not resign. I was watching a foreign rave party scene sent by one of my colleagues minister Krishna. I did it to understand what rave party means."

So, thanks to his smartphone, now he knows that a rave party is nothing but a porn movie! Not to forget that the sleazy act was caught by someone, of course, on a smartphone.

Does our women and child minister know that in India every day, 60 rape cases are registered and an equal number goes without a mention. Oh, sorry we forgot he has bigger responsibilities than these and that he is making optimum use of technology to update his knowledge.

Is that what the government of Karnataka meant when it said its members of Legislative Council must be equipped with latest gadgets?

Just a month ago, the government spent US $72257.341 to buy 75 iPad 2, worth Rs 46,999, for 75 Members Of Legislative Council (MLCs). The question is why do they need iPads at the cost of taxpayers' money? How can they be made accountable? Who monitors the use of iPads?

Legislative Council chairman Shankaramurthy had defended the move saying: “We want to make MLCs more productive. And this is possible by making them use modern technology. The device (iPads) will enable the members to access Internet and do their administrative works like sending letters to heads of departments and ministers online.”

Buoyed by that, state MLAs demanded they be given iPad 3. Little did they know that Apple was yet to release iPad 3. So much for being tech savvy.

The state ministers aren't new to such controversies sparked on videos or phones. Excise minister Renukacharya was caught kissing a nurse, who released the video claiming he had raped her.

Also, former BJP MLA Halappa was allegedly caught on camera raping a close aide's wife.

So, there is a lesson for our gadget flaunting politicians: Technology spares none.