Gujarat BJP lawmakers deny watching porn in state assembly

Ahmedabad, Mar.21 (ANI): Two Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members of the Gujarat State Assembly on Wednesday denied reports that they were watching pornographic material when the House was in session.

In an incident similar to last month's "Porn Gate" in Karnataka, the two BJP leaders - Shankar Choudhary of Radhanpur and Jetha Bharwad of Sehera in Gujarat's Panchmahal District, were accused of watching porn on a tablet. Both leaders, however, denied the charge.

A journalist had earlier submitted a video clip that showed Choudhary and Bharwad watching something on a tablet, but it was not clear exactly what.

"The claim is baseless and without any truth. I often draft letters and other official documents in the House just to get some office work done. That is all I was doing when the clip was made," Choudhary said.

The tablet has been handed over to the secretary of the assembly and the speaker has ordered an inquiry to find out exactly what the gadget contained.

Forensic experts may be roped in just in case the objectionable material may have been deleted.

Choudhary made a statement in the house on the issue on Wednesday afternoon, but by then all Congress MLAs had been suspended for the day for protesting loudly and not allowing the house to function.

It maybe recalled that in Karnataka, a legislature committee had probed the " Porn Gate" episode earlier, and given a clean chit to two former ministers who were allegedly caught watching objectionable material in the state assembly.

The committee headed by Srishailappa Bidarur absolved C.C. Patil and Krishna Palemar in its report submitted to the assembly speaker K.G. Bopaiah in a sealed cover. (ANI)