“Don't you watch blue-films at home?” asks Yeddyurappa

Shimoga, February 19: Former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa has come out in support of the three former ministers involved in Porngate.

At a programme in Shimoga on Saturday, the former CM showed his soft corner for the trio, who are his supporters, and targeted the media. He said, "It (ministers watching porn clips in the legislative assembly) has been blown out of proportion by the media. Everybody watches it. Don't you watch them?''

He said the media had given a different impression about the MLAs to the people. "Is that what all MLAs do? If someone, knowingly or unknowingly does it, it's fine to write about it for a day or two,'' he said. He advised the media to use some restraint. "The speaker has constituted a committee to probe the incident. Even after this, the media seeks my reaction on the issue daily,'' he fumed.

BSY distances himself from DVS, literally

B S?Yeddyurappa, who reportedly snubbed Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda when the latter called upon him to extend an invitation for an event in Shimoga, continued to be curt with Gowda during the event on Saturday.

The former chief minister surprised everyone by arriving at the Karnataka Slum Development Board event to distribute possession certificates to slum-dwellers, even though he came in 20 minutes late.

But as he climbed up the dais, he refused to acknowledge Gowda's presence even as the chief minister tried to greet him and sat at a distance though the seat next to Gowda was empty.

According to sources, Yeddyurappa was reluctant to attend the programme as it was organised by his political rival State BJP?president K S?Eshwarappa.

During the programme, Gowda got up from his seat and sat next to Yeddyurappa for a few minutes and posed for the cameras. But there was no exchange of any pleasantries between the two leaders.

While Gowda left the event before his predecessor's address, Yeddyurappa did not mention Gowda's name in his speech.

However, he offered an unsolicited explanation for not sitting next to Sadananda Gowda. “I am just a common legislator and the seats next to the chief minister were occupied by Shimoga MP and party State president,” Yeddyurappa said and snidely remarked that the media should not make an issue out of this and must rethink its priorities.