Bengaluru: The main opposition BJP which is facing the wrath of ruling Congress over one of its MLAs, Prabhu Chavan, watching a picture of Priyanka Gandhi on his smartphone in the Assembly, seems to have found a way out. Karnataka Housing minister and film star Ambareesh has got himself embroiled in a controversy unintentionally helping the BJP.
According to a leading newspaper 'Deccan Herald' it has now surfaced that Ambareesh, along with former minister and Congress MLA S S Mallikarjun, was watching a video in the Assembly on Wednesday evening probably about the same time when BJP's Prabhu Chavan was zooming in on Priyanka Gandhi's images. Though some TV news channels aired live images of the minister holding a cellphone, they could not show what exactly he was watching. In the footage, Mallikarjun is seen showing the minister something.
Besides, a video showing Ambareesh enjoying music in a bar and a picture of him kissing a young girl was being circulated on social media. The two bits of 'evidence' became ammunition for the BJP, which has been left red faced over the Chavan incident, to take on the Congress.
Ambareesh, unperturbed, hit back at his detractors saying, "Yes... naanu 350 hudageerna ittukondideeni (...I have affairs with 350 girls). So what? Let them complain to anyone. I don't care. I danced with girls in movies, but I didn't do it inside the Assembly". He, however, denied having watched anything objectionable inside the House with Mallikarjun.
The picture of the actor-turned-politician kissing a girl was circulated on WhatsApp. There is no confirmation on the authenticity of the image yet. The minister appeared to have no qualms about the photograph being circulated.
"If the photograph has been sent to Rahul Gandhi (Congress vice president), let them do it. I have no problem. It is my private life," he said.
The BJP has been claiming that the two Congress leaders were watching the video of Ambareesh enjoying a popular Hindi song in a bar. It is said that the video was shot in a Bengaluru bar recently. While, another version says that it was recorded several months ago in a bar in his home district Mandya.
Asked about the allegation that he watched a video inside the House, Ambareesh said, "Discussion on the sugar cane issue was over in the House. At that time Mallikarjun came to me and asked me to see a message on his mobile phone. But he was unable to open it. I told him I am not interested and sent him away," he claimed.
Ambareesh has always been a very controversial politician. A three time MP from Mandya, he was a minister of state for Information and Broadcasting in the UPA-1 government at the Centre.
Recently, the Karnataka government paid his hospital treatment bill worth over Rs 1 crore creating a controversy.
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