Minister willing to resign over 'no govt running in K'taka' remark

Bengaluru, Aug 16 Karnataka Minister for Law J.C. Madhuswamy has agreed that the alleged audio clip containing his conversation where he remarks that no government is being run in the state and just show is being managed until upcoming assembly polls is his voice.

"No one has conspired against me. I don't hold anyone guilty and clarification has been given to Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai. There is no need to resign. In case it is sought by the CM, I will tender my resignation," Madhuswamy said.

He further maintained that he had spoken respectfully about his cabinet colleague in the conversation. "It is a very old audio clip. I do not remember when I have spoken it. I have respect for my government and cabinet colleagues," he said.

"One stranger had provoked me, so I have said that we are managing," he said.

The development has embarrassed the ruling BJP in Karnataka.

The audio clip containing the alleged conversation by Madhuswamy was first put up by the Congress party taking pot shots at the ruling BJP on the social media.

Later, it threatened to turn into a crisis as Minister for Horticulture N. Munirathna asked his colleague to submit his resignation.

Another cabinet colleague S.T. Somashekar, who holds the Cooperation ministry, said it is not fair for Minister Madhuswamy to comment over his portfolio.

Meanwhile, Bommai said there is no need for anyone to present a wrong picture of the statement by Madhuswamy on the ruling BJP government. "The Minister has stated it in a different context," he said.

"I have spoken to him but there is no need for wrong portrayal. It was spoken before 3 months in a function related to the Cooperative department. Everything is fine within the government. There is no crisis as such," CM Bommai maintained.

The alleged audio clip contains the conversation between Madhuswamy and social worker Bhaskar.

Bhaskar talks about cooperative bank officials demanding Rs 1,300 for renewing Rs 50,000 loan availed by farmers. Madhuswamy agrees to his charge and says even as it has been brought to the notice of Cooperation Minister S.T. Somashekar, nothing has changed.

"There is no functioning government, we are only managing things and pushing for 8 months until the next assembly elections," Madhuswamy tells Bhaskar.

The Congress claimed on social media that it was a classic example of incompetence of the ruling BJP government.

The BJP government is functioning only as a corruption management service. There is no better evidence of the incompetence of the Bommai government and injustice to farmers, it said.

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