Embarrassed by the Karnataka porn clip controversy, BJP today said the incident involving its three ministers is "unfortunate and indecent" and insisted that the national leadership will take the "strongest" action against them.

"The national leadership of BJP has taken note of what has happened. It is unfortunate and uncalled for. Certainly it demeans the political system. We have no qualms in stating that. We have admitted that. The resignations have been taken and accepted.... Strongest action will be taken against them," BJP spokesperson and MP Rajiv Pratap Rudy said.

He maintained that a statement has already been issued by the party leadership and the matter is being looked into

Rudy denied reports that the two ministers in the Karnataka government are likely to get away lightly as they are close to former Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa.

"These reports are baseless. One is free to make his own speculations," he said. 

Also, previously

Three ministers caught watching porn, quit

Bowing to the directives of the party central leadership, three BJP ministers in Karnataka on Wednesday resigned after they were engulfed in a row over watching sleazy clippings during the Assembly proceedings.

A day after the incident caused huge embarrassment to the BJP government, all the three tainted ministers were summoned to the party office and were asked to submit their resignation after a meeting of the senior leaders presided over by Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda.

Minister for Cooperation Laxman Savadi, Minister for Women and Child Development C C Patil and Minister for Ports and Science and Technology Krishna Palemar announced after a meeting with top leaders that they have decided to quit.

"We don't want the party and the government to face further embarrassment. All of us have decided to resign from the ministry", Savadi told reporters outside the BJP office.

Savadi and Patil demanded that the Speaker of the state assembly K G Bopaiah institute a probe into the issue of watching the porno video footage and expressed confidence that "they would come clean from the allegations".

Palemar, another minister, who had to pay a price for allegedly providing the blue film clippings to Savadi said he was contemplating legal course over the issue.

Savadi and Patil were caught yesterday while they were allegedly viewing the porno video footage inside the state assembly, an incident that battered the image of the Sadananda Gowda Government and BJP, evoking widespread condemnation across the state.

Under the directions of BJP National President Nitin Gadkari, Gowda today held a meeting with the state unit Party President K S Eswarappa, former Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, senior ministers Jagadish Shettar and Govind Karjol in the party office and decided to ask the three ministers to put in their papers.

Savadi and Patil said they would submit their resignation to Gowda and request him to accept it

Savadi and Patil, who had to demit the ministry under cloud, blamed the media for blowing the incident out of proportion.

Savadi said they were resigning to save the party and the Government from embarrassment. "We will appeal to the Chief Minister, Yeddyurappa and Eshwarappa to accept our resignation.

"We will appeal to the Speaker in the Assembly to order an enquiry to uncover the truth. We are ready to face any enquiry", Savadi said, adding "Media is projecting us as criminals all over the state".

To a question, Savadi said they are quitting voluntarily and there was no pressure on them to do so.

Palemar said he does not know how to pass on such clips, adding, his innocence would be proved in an inquiry. "When there is an allegation, it's not correct to continue as Minister", he said. "There is a wrong perception (on the issue) and let there be an inquiry".

In a bizarre defence, Savadi had last night said the clip showed some men dancing with a woman and then gang-raping her.

The rapists were later arrested by the police and then stoned in public, Savadi said, adding, he was watching it in the context of a discussion on "rave party" (in an island off Udupi) earlier in the Legislative Council

Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs S Suresh Kumar said the three ministers quit on their own to avoid embarrassment to the party and its government.

"They (ministers) came and met the leaders this morning and offered to resign from the ministry on their own. I don't think there was any direction from the party high command," he told reporters.

Kumar admitted that despite the resignation by the ministers, the incident of viewing of porno video would "certainly" cause embarrassment to the party and its workers.

When asked whether the Speaker K G Bopaiah will take action, Kumar said "Speaker is the custodian of the house. He will take a suitable decision".

Meanwhile, the Chief Minister called on the Legislative Council Chairman D H Shankara Murthy and Bopaiah and discussed the video clipping row.

Also, 

KTK Governor accepts resignation of three ministers

Karnataka Governor H R Bhardwaj today accepted the resignation of three tainted ministers, who quit in the wake of a controversy over allegedly watching porn video clippings in the state Assembly.

The resignation of minister for cooperation Laxman Savadi, minister for women and child development C C Patil and minister for ports Krishna Palemar were accepted, according to Raj Bhavan sources

Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda had earlier on Wednesday forwarded the resignation of the ministers.

Also see: Porn scandal rocks Karnataka Assembly, oppn smells blood

The porn scandal on Wednesday rocked the Karnataka Assembly where the opposition Congress and JDS members sought suspension and disqualification of the three former Ministers involved in the episode from the House.

As soon as the Assembly met, Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda informed the members about the resignations of the three Ministers, caught on camera watching sleazy clippings on their mobile phone in the House last evening.

Congress leader Siddaramaiah sought to move a resolution for immediate suspension and disqualification of Laxman Savadi, C C Patil and Krishna Palemar which Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister S Suresh Kumar opposed on technical grounds.

Siddaramaiah's statement that the Ministers were watching "blue films" enraged BJP member state unit chief K S Eshwarappa who said it would come out only after inquiry and that the former could not talk as he wished.

Eshwarappa was supported by his party colleagues while opposition MLAs were on the feet to make their point, resulting in a din.

Flaying the government for opposing the resolution on "technical grounds", Siddaramaiah appealed to Speaker K G Bopaiah to use his "special powers" and allow the resolution.

"The three have violated the sanctity of the House. Shame on the government," Siddaramaiah said amid din as the Speaker adjourned the House for half-an-hour.

The JDS said it would move an adjournment motion seeking the trio's disqualification, and demanding a comprehensive probe and filing of criminal case against them.

Earlier, KPCC President G Parameshwara, outside the Assembly, demanded the disqualification of the three MLAs and asked the government to seek a fresh mandate.