Pics: Spoorthi Ullal
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (SHS)
Mangalore, May 2: Former deputy chief minister K S Eshwarappa on Friday May 2 demanded immediate resignation of state cabinet minister Abhaychandra Jain for allegedly threatening a reporter of a Kannada daily.
Addressing a press meet here at the district BJP office here, Eshwarappa said such threat of physical assault to a reporter by a minister was a first incident of its kind in the history of state politics.
"Abhaychandra Jain should step down from his post immediately and extend an unconditional apology to the press. If Jain refuses to resign, it is the duty of chief minister Siddaramaiah to sack such an irresponsible minister from his cabinet," he said.
Eshwarappa said the minister’s statement amounted to degradation of the freedom of expression of media. "This was not only an insult to the media but also to democracy. If the Congress party does not act against its minister, the party high command and president Sonia Gandhi have no right to speak of the freedom of press. BJP is in no mood to politicize this issue but such acts should be condemned by everyone irrespective of any political party," he said.
"The BJP would decide its further course of action in this case after convening a meeting headed by the state unit president Prahlad Joshi on May 7. I am confident that Jain would submit his resignation before the meeting," he added.
Former minister Kota Srinivas Poojary, Nagaraj Shetty, MLC Capt Ganesh Karnik, district president Pratap Simha Nayak and others were present during the press meet.