Bangalore: Three former Karnataka ministers have now been granted time till February 19 by Speaker KG Bopaiah to file their replies to the show-cause notices issued to them on the porn-watching episode in the Legislative Assembly.

The three were to file their replies today but had asked for a week’s extension to submit their response to the show-cause notices.

The three – Lakshman S Savadi, CC Patil and J Krishna Palemar – had sent a letter to the Legislative Assembly Secretariat in this regard.

They were last week directed by the Speaker to file the reply by today.

Bopaiah had already said the once the reply is received, a seven member House panel, comprising four members from the BJP, two from the Congress and one from JDS, would be formed to conduct an inquiry into the issue. This panel would be asked to submit a report to him by March 12. The report would then be placed in the Assembly.

The Opposition Congress and JDS have argued that there was no need for a House panel as the three former ministers have already made admissions vis-a-vis the episode, and demanded their immediate disqualification.

The Speaker had said that he did not disqualify them summarily to ensure that the accused get principles of natural justice.