I performed my duty, says former Karna Speaker Ramesh Kumar

K R Ramesh Kumar, who resigned from the post of Speaker of the Karnataka Assembly Monday, said he had performed his duty in disqualifying the 14 rebel MLAs and hoped his action would uphold ethics in politics.

Kumar resigned after the house adopted the confidence motion moved by Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa and passed the Appropriation Bill.

"It is not correct to comment on the verdict. I performed my duty. I did this... that we should be a guide to the youth," he told reporters here when asked for his message to the present generation of politicians and youth who wished to enter politics.

Kumar was speaking after attending the funeral of Congress veteran S Jaipal Reddy here.

Describing Jaipal Reddy as a "mentor", Kumar recalled that that he used to guide and encourage him.

"It (our association) is not just political. We used to share (feelings) at a personal level. He used to guide me, pull me up encourage me I feel like I have lost an elder in the family," he said.

He hailed Jaipal Reddy for his scholarship and unflinching commitment to the ideals he believed in.

Kumar replied in the affirmative when asked whether he used to discuss with Reddy, politics and various other things.

"Definitely. I often talked about (in public speeches) Professor Madhu Dandavate ji...Jaipal Reddy ji. They were great people. They did not enter politics for their livelihood... They stood for the ideals which they believed in till their last breath," he said.

"There are so many in our country who change colours every day. But they did not do it. They did not change parties for the sake of posts," he said.

Kumar had said earlier in Bengaluru that during his his 14-month long tenure as Speaker, he had worked according to his "conscience" and in accordance with the Constitution and that he had upheld the of office to the best of his ability.