JD(S) leader and former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy on Tuesday said two recent developments — Ramesh Jarkiholi CD episode and the subsequent development of six Ministers getting injunction order against telecasting defamatory material against them — had raised questions on what had happened during the “Mumbai trip”.
All seven had camped in a Mumbai hotel for a prolonged period after quitting their parties and joining the BJP in 2019. This had led to the toppling of the Congress–JD(S) coalition government. “I heard six other Ministers who were in Mumbai also wanted to approach the courts for an injunction but backed out seeing the public backlash,” he said.
Describing Mr. Jarkiholi and other Ministers as “innocent”, he said if the woman in the CD was really the victim, she should have come forward by now.
Responding to queries on a proposed law to prevent such alleged blackmail of public personalities, he said no law would prevent it and the only way to avoid finding oneself in such situations was by “being aware, careful and not indulging in such acts”.
“If we make a mistake we need to accept it and correct ourselves. I have accepted I made a mistake in the Assembly, corrected myself and moved on with my life, that is the only way,” he said.
