Bengaluru: The Opposition Congress on Monday demanded the resignation of Medical Education Minister K Sudhakar for tweeting a picture of him rejoicing in swimming with his children.  

In the tweet, since deleted, Sudhakar said: “After a long time joined my children for swimming hope maintaining social distance here also (sic)..haha.”

Taking exception to this, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee KPCC president D K Shivakumar asked Sudhakar to step down. “When the whole world is going through a health crisis, the Corona in-charge Minister Dr Sudhakar is behaving irresponsibly by spending time in a swimming pool,” Shivakumar said in a tweet with a screenshot of Sudhakar’s now-deleted tweet. “It’s a matter of moral & ethical standards. He must resign out of his own accord & CM should sack him from the Cabinet.”

In a statement he issued subsequently, Shivakumar said he was aghast that Sudhakar, being a doctor, posted a picture of his personal life during the crisis.

“Not just those from my party, BJP leaders themselves called me to ask why I have not demanded Sudhakar’s resignation yet,” he said. “Still, I will not press for his resignation. Even the CM or Governor should not sack him. According to me, Sudhakar himself will take moral responsibility and step down.” 

A Congress delegation met Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa seeking Sudhakar’s sacking on grounds that he violated the lockdown, especially when all swimming pools across the country were closed. 

Sudhakar hit back strongly at the Congress on this matter. “As a father I was attending to my kids after three months of rigorous work to contain the Covid-19. Am I not supposed to discharge duties as a father to my children?” he told DH.

“I have not gone outside on picnic or tour. But stayed at home and joined them in their kids’ pool inside the house. Before meeting them, I had quarantined myself and only after the successful completion of quarantine that I spent a few hours with my children which I could not do since February as I was busy attending to all Covid-19 related emergencies,” he said, daring the Opposition to point out flaws in his work instead.