The Congress and the BJP on Monday engaged in a war of words over the issue of dignity of women. While Congress chief Rahul Gandhi demanded resignation of Union Minister Anantkumar Hegde for his controversial remarks about a Congress leader’s wife, HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar sought explanation from Rahul for the misbehaviour with a woman by former Chief Minister K Siddaramaiah at a public meeting in Mysuru.
Siddaramaiah’s action prompted the National Commission for Women to write to Karnataka police seeking appropriate action on the matter. Hegde on Sunday had reportedly said at a public event that any hand that touches a Hindu girl “should not exist”. Criticised by Congress leader Dinesh Gundu Rao for his remarks, the Union Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship tweeted, “I shall definitely answer this guy @dineshgrao’s queries, before which could he please reveal himself as to who he is along with his achievements? I only know him as a guy who ran behind a Muslim lady.” Rao is married to a Muslim woman.
Slamming, Hegde, Congress chief said he is “unfit” to be a Union Minister and deserves to be sacked. “This man is an embarrassment to every Indian. He’s unfit to be a Union Minister and deserves to be sacked,” Rahul said reacting to the reported remarks.
Amid the political instability in the JD(S)-Congress coalition Government in Karnataka, former Chief Minister K Siddaramaiah landed himself in a controversy when he engaged in a verbal duel with a woman and snatched the microphone from her, dislodging her dupatta in the process at an event in Varuna in Mysuru.
BJP condemned the incident involving Siddaramaiah which was caught on camera with the video of it going viral. The video showed a spat between Siddaramaiah and Jamalar, a former District Panchayat member, who said she was upset that his son Yathindra “showed up” seven months after getting elected. Her accusation irked Siddaramaiah, who said his son keeps visiting the constituency, which she strongly contested.
“Rahul Gandhi should tell what he will do with him (Siddaramaiah). This is a crime, the way he abused her,” said Javadekar. He alleged that Congress only respects women from one family, in an apparent reference to the Gandhi family. “That’s how they see women, they haven’t changed since the tandoor case,” he added.
Javadekar was referring to the 1995 “tandoor” murder case in which former youth Congress leader Sushil Sharma is accused of killing his wife Naina Sahni by first chopping her body and then burning it in a basement oven. Sharma is currently serving a
life sentence. Condemning Siddaramaiah for losing cool, BJP State president BS Yeddyurappa said, The aggrieved woman is from Congress. She is complaining that the MLA is not available.
Siddaramaiah on his part hit back at BJP and stated that BJP is insulting the woman to give the incident a political colour. “Everybody knows how much regard BJP has for women. I don’t need anything to learn from them,” he tweeted. The woman tapped the table to buttress her point, further enraging Siddaramaiah who shouted at her and forcibly asked her to sit.
As she beat the table the second time, Siddaramaiah lost his cool and snatched the microphone with which the dupatta got entangled. “NCWIndia has taken Suo Motu cognisance. Will write to Karnataka Police to take appropriate action,” NCW chief Rekha Sharma said on twitter.