Shaun
Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara has tendered his apology after his remark on a sexual assault case in Bengaluru triggered massive public anger. After a video emerged yesterday showing a man groping a woman on a street in Bengaluru, the Congress leader had suggested that such incidents occur in big cities – drawing criticism from the opposition BJP.
Mr Parameshwara said that his statement was misunderstood, and he doesn’t want it to be twisted further.
“I want to clarify that the statement I made yesterday wasn’t understood properly, I am someone who has always had a lot of concern for the safety of women. I have ensured that Nirbhaya funds are utilised well for the safety of women. I don’t want my statement to be twisted. If any woman has been hurt by this, I express my regret and apologise,” he said.
A day after the video of a woman being molested in Bengaluru went viral on social media, Home Minister G Parameshwara called it an “isolated incident” and said “such incidents take place once in a while in such a big city”, kicking up a furore with the BJP demanding that Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra seek Parameshwara’s resignation.
Parameshwara said that he was in touch with Bengaluru City Police Commissioner and asked him to be careful and ensure such incidents don’t recur.
“Beats should be more effective, monitoring should be done and there must be regular patrolling, we tell everyday. But, when such isolated incidents happen, it attracts people’s attention. But, do we just let it slide?” he said, maintaining that the police were working continuously to keep the city peaceful.
“But such incidents do take place once in a while in such a big city. For that, we will take action as per law,” he said.
Based on a complaint filed by a local resident, the Suddaguntepalya police registered an FIR under BNS sections 74 (molestation), 75 (sexual harassment) and 78 (stalking). Sunday. According to sources, the victim has not filed any police complaint.
The police are currently on the lookout for the accused who was seen in the CCTV footage on April 3 around 2 am following the two women. The accused, who appears to be in his 20s, is seen groping one of the two women walking on a deserted lane and fleeing the scene.
Meanwhile, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla alleged that Parameshwara is a “serial offender”, claiming that he had made similar remarks trivialising crimes against women during sexual assaults against them in Bengaluru in 2017.
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Claiming that crimes against women have seen a 50% jump in the Congress-ruled states, he told reporters that Parameshwara has exhibited a brazen display of “most shocking, misogynist, patriarchal, sexist and obnoxious mindset” by trivialising an incident that has shocked the country, especially women of the state.
Poonawalla asked if Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s “ladki hun lad sakti hun” campaign, which she had spearheaded in UP in the run-up to the 2022 Assembly poll, was a mere “empty tokenism and slogan”.
He said, “Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra should break silence and seek resignation from G Parameshwara.” Poonawalla cited several cases of crimes against women, including the gangrape of an Israeli tourist, to target the Siddaramaiah government and added that several Congress leaders in the past have made similarly provocative statements related to women.
