NEW DELHI: Mahantesh Kavatagimath, a BJP MLC from Karnataka on Tuesday triggered a controversy by allegedly posting pornographic images on a WhatsApp group.

According to Deccan Chronicle, the leader shared over 50 pornographic pictures on a group comprising senior government and Police officials and journalists.

As a result, the group administrator Mahaboob Makandar removed Kavatagimath from the group ‘Belagavi Media Force’.

“I don’t know how the pictures were posted to the group. But, I immediately removed him from the group,” Makandar was quoted by TOI as saying.

The MLC was known to be a “decent politician,” the group administrator said.

Kavatagimath has apologized for the incident and said picture were posted in the group by mistake.

“It happened while I was travelling by flight. I was switching off the phone when it hanged and the messages were forwarded by mistake, I guess. I apologise for the incident, it was not intentional. Why would I share porn in a group with journalists?” he was quoted by News18 as saying.

In a similar incident,  a Punjab superintendent of police and winner of a government award for sporting excellence had found himself in the middle of a controversy after a lewd video was forwarded to a Whatsapp group from his phone number.

The 1.23-minute video featuring a topless dancer was circulated from the cellphone number of Parminder Singh Bhandal, the superintendent of police (city) SAS Nagar and former captain of the national basketball team who has won an Arjuna Award.

The WhatsApp group to which the video was sent had as members police personnel, local politicians and journalists.