Embarrassment for Karnataka CM after minister resigns over sleaze allegations

Karnataka excise minister H.Y. Meti, who was under cloud over seeking sexual favours for transfer of a government official, resigned on Wednesday after chief minister Siddaramaiah ordered a probe over the scandal.

Meti, 71, who belongs to the Kuruba (Shepherd) community that of Siddaramaiah, was under pressure to quit after a lady government official accused him of seeking sexual favour for a job transfer.

A purported CD of the alleged conversation was to be the proof, which Meti denied that it existed and took pains to explain his stand with state congress chief G Parameshwara. An unrelenting party, which did not want any embarrassment over the issue asked the minister, a legislator from Bagalkot in North Karnataka to resign. Siddaramaiah conveyed his disappointment with a tweet saying that he had asked the governor to accept Meti's resignation.

I have resigned on my own volition to avoid any embarrassment to the government and the chief minister," Meti said "I have done nothing wrong. I have requested the chief minister to hold an inquiry."

Meti's exit over a scandal would give ammunition to the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is looking to make a comeback in the state in the next assembly elections. B S Yeddyurappa, former chief minister and BJP campaign chief had pointed that at least four ministers are involved in scandals in Karnataka

In the nearly three years of rule, Siddaramaiah has struggled with governance - the first few years his focus on leading the party in elections. Earlier this year, K J George, the minister for Bengaluru and a senior cabinet member quit after a local court in Madikeri directed the police to register a case against him over a suicide of a police officer. He returned after the CID probe gave him a clean chit and restarted the controversial steel flyover project that involves cutting down over 800 trees in the heart the city.