In a huge embarrassment to the Congress government, minister for primary and secondary education and minority affairs Tanveer Sait was caught watching porn on his mobile while attending a Tipu Jayanti function in Raichur on Thursday.

Footage of Sait looking at nude pictures on his mobile was captured by a TV channel. After the function, the minister tried to down play the incident saying he was trying to know the status of Tipu Jayanti celebrations in his hometown, Mysuru, when he chanced upon the obscene photographs that had been forwarded to him on WhatsApp. “I was collecting information about celebrations across the state,” he claimed.

Raichur MP BV Naik, who sat next to Sait, said: “The minister was showing me some pictures and information related to Tipu Jayanti celebrations in Mysuru and other districts. The minister said the celebrations were a grand success. There were hundreds of messages on Tipu Jayanti on his mobile and he was just scrolling through them.”

The opposition refused to buy these explanations. The BJP, which has criticized the government for organising Tipu Jayanti, demanded Sait’s resignation. BJP leader K S Eshwarappa said: “He has no moral authority to continue as a minister; he should resign immediately.”

Earlier in 2012, BJP ministers Lakshman Savadi and CC Patil were caught viewing porn on their mobiles inside the assembly. They both resigned, as did their colleague Krishna Palemar, who had forwarded the clip.

In December 2014, the BJP was left red-faced when its MLA Prabhu Chavan was caught zooming in on a photograph of Priyanka Gandhi. Another BJP legislator, UB Banakar, was found playing Candy Crush Saga on his mobile.

Chief minister Siddaramaiah and home minister G Parameshwara said they didn’t know about the Raichur incident. “I will get a report and respond,” the CM said. JDS leader H D Kumaraswamy said, “this should not have happened. Let us see what the Chief Minister will do.”