After Ramesh Jarkiholi Resignation, 6 Karnataka Ministers Move Court Seeking Media Gag

Six State Ministers belonging to the Bharatiya Janata Party have approached the City Civil Court seeking to restrain the media from airing/printing/publishing any defamatory content against them.

This comes days after Ramesh Jarkiholi, the water resources minister in the BS Yediyurappa-led Karnataka government, tendered his resignation after being accused of demanding sexual favours from an unidentified woman in exchange for a job

The Minsters-- SHIVARAM HEBBAR, B C PATIL, H T SOMASHEKHAR, K SUDHAKAR, NARAYAN GOWDA and BHYRATI BASAVARAJ have sought directions against a total of 68 media houses through their editors. The suit was filed on March 5. The matter will be heard on Saturday.

All the six ministers had defected to the BJP from the Congress and JDS in July 2019 leading to the fall of the previous coalition government. All of them were disqualified and won by-elections held in December 2019 and were subsequently made Cabinet ministers. An additional civil magistrate will take up the matters for orders on Saturday.