Karnataka Minister loses perspective, and job

And evoked widespread opposition from a cross-section of the society as well as social organisations and political parties. This morning, Krishna summoned John and some senior ministerial colleagues to disscuss the issue. They also viewed a video cassette of John’s remarks and sources close to Krishna said that John was asked by the CM to step down.

Soon after his resignation, John said: “I have resigned to avoid embarrassment to Krishna and his government and to the Congress which believes in secular principles”.

In a statement in Kannada read out to reporters, John claimed that his remarks were not intended to hurt anyone. Regretting his statement, he said that he decided to quit as it was felt that his remarks went against the secular policies of the Congress party and the government.

John, who was embroiled in a controversy when his name was linked with the hooch tragedy in Kerala last year — a charge he denied — also said that he didn’t want to give anyone the “scope to draw political mileage and incite people.”

Meanwhile, the state BJP strongly criticized what it called John’s “inhuman utterances.” In a letter to Krishna, senior BJP MLAs, including B S Yediyurappa, Sureshkumar, Ramchandra Gowda and A Ramdas, alleged that John had sown seeds of communal tension and that his statement attracted three years imprisonment as per the IPC. He had also acted against the oath of office he had been administered, the letter said.