Ministers accused of watching porn quit

BANGALORE, India, Feb. 8 (UPI) -- Three ministers of an Indian state resigned Wednesday after two of them allegedly watched cellphone pornography clips during an assembly session.

The incident in India's southern Karnataka state, ruled by the Bharatiya Janta Party or BJP, involved the ministers in charge of cooperation, woman and child development, and ports and environment.

Their resignations were demanded by party leaders led by state Chief Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda, the Press Trust of India news agency reported. Bangalore is the capital of Karnataka.

The allegations were denied and one minister was quoted as saying the clips were about a woman being raped by four people and that the issue would have been discussed in the assembly.

"We don't want the party and the government to face further embarrassment. All of us have decided to resign from the ministry," PTI quoted one minister as saying.

The Times said two of the ministers were caught by television cameras allegedly watching the clips on a cellphone as the assembly debate was in progress. The report said close-up shots of the ministers were later beamed on TV channels.

The report quoted one minister as saying the clips had been forwarded by the ports and environment minister, but the latter said he might seek legal course over the issue, PTI reported.

State opposition leaders demanded the three be barred from entering the assembly, the Times reported.