From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, Mar 1: Embarrassed over the porngate scandal in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly, the Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda did not rule out banning private television cameras inside the House saying the presiding officers want to emulate Parliament’s media policy.

He, however, said the government would not restrain the media from entering or covering the Assembly and the Council.

“I do not want to make any comments on this. We never wanted to invade the individuality of the media,” he said adding: ''We are thinking on the lines of Parliamentary system (where private television channel cameras are not allowed).”

The Chief Minister, who cancelled a scheduled press conference at Karnataka Bhavan in Delhi at the last minute, said the proposal to ban private television channels from covering the proceedings was “not new.”

''It (the proposal) was under consideration for a long time. Now the Speaker and Chairman have decided to take it up,” he said.

However, he said the Speaker and Chairman will visit Parliament to the study the system there. They will also take the opinion of several people. Things will take time. But media will not be restrained from entering the Assembly, he said.

His comments came in the wake of Congress opposing the proposed move, saying it was reflective of the “fascist” attitude of the BJP.

“If there is a knee-jerk reaction by the BJP, this is it. It is like shooting the messenger rather than reading the message. It is not surprising as it is guiding principle of their conduct all through,” Congress party spokesman Manish Tewari had said.

Three Ministers had to quit the Karnataka Cabinet on February 8, a day after they were caught watching porn clippings in the assembly.

House Panel Summons 3 ''Blueboys” to appear on Mar 8

Meanwhile, the State Legislative Assembly House committee has decided to summon the three former ministers -- who were caught while watching porn clips in the Assembly – before it on March 8.

According to sources, a decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of the Committee held on Thursday.

The four-member committee headed by Srishailappa Biradur is learnt to have issued notices to the three former ministers -- Laxman Savadi, C C Patil and Krishna Palemar -- asking them to appear before it on March 8.

The Committee is learnt to have examined the written responses of all the three former ministers on Thursday.

All the three of them reportedly claimed that they were innocent.

Palemar is said to have claimed that the mobile on which the porn clips were watched did not belong to him.

Similarly, Patil has claimed that he did not watch the porn video, but only tried to switch it off.

Savadi has maintained that his act of watching the porn clip was not a deliberate one.