Daijiworld Media Network – Bengaluru (DV)

Bengaluru, Mar 7: In the midst of the sleazegate involving BJP MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi that has made headlines nationwide, RR Nagar MLA Muniratna of BJP has said that unlike other ministers who approached the court seeking injunction against publication of defamatory news, he was not afraid and challenged anyone to release a CD on him at the national level.

"If you have my CD, release it on the national level. I welcome those who wish to release my CD," he said.

The sleazegate has already resulted in the resignation of minister Jarkiholi and sent six other ministers including Shivaram Hebbar, B C Patil, S T Somashekar, Dr Sudhakar, Narayana Gowda, and Byrathi Basavaraj to the court seeking injuction. The court on Saturday ordered temporary restrain on media against publishing any defamatory content against the ministers.

"I will never go to court. I do not have any fear of any kind. If anyone says that he has my CD, I will never go to the court to get an injunction order," Muniratna said.

"All of us were in one resort in Mumbai. No one tried to defame us there. There is a conspiracy brewing against us. This scandal has been created to exploit our weakness," he added.

An additional and sessions court had restrained 68 media houses from publishing unverified or defamatory content against six Karnataka ministers. The court order stated that the complainants hold high positions in the government and therefore if unverified news is published against them, it would bring them undue embarrassment.

Meanwhile, in a twist to the case, social worker Dinesh Kallahalli on Sunday March 7 withdew his complaint against Jarkiholi, stating that he did not release the video and that he was saddened by JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy's claim that he had struck a Rs 5-crore deal to create controversy.