Criticized for 'rape' usage in K'tka Assembly, Cong MLA apologises for 'off the cuff' remark"

Bengaluru: Congress leader KR Ramesh Kumar stoked a massive controversy on Thursday for making an atrociously sexist and unsavoury comment on rape incidents in the state assembly.

Speaking in the Assembly, Kumar said, "There is a saying that when rape is inevitable, lie down and enjoy it."

The Congress member's comment came when the MLAs demanded time from the Speaker to discuss farmers' issues in the Assembly.

The Speaker questioned how the session can be conducted if time was allotted to everyone. Then, in a note of resignation, Vishweshwara Hegde Kageri added: "Whatever you decide - I will say yes. What I am thinking is that let us enjoy the situation. I can't control or regulate the system. My concern is about the business of the house, it has also to be covered".

To this, Ramesh Kumar made the offensive comparison, and the members broke into laughter. The video of the incident has now gone viral, leaving people fuming at the leader's sexist comment.

Later, replying to a tweet about the incident, Kumar apologised and said, "I would like to express my sincere apologies to everyone for the indifferent and negligent comment I made in today's assembly about "Rape!" My intention was not to trivialise or make light of the heinous crime, but an off the cuff remark! I will choose my words carefully henceforth!"

However, this is not the first time that KR Ramesh Kumar has made such a distasteful comment. As the speaker of the Karnataka Assembly in 2019, Kumar had compared himself to a rape survivor. 

He had then stated that "My situation is like that of a rape victim. The rape happened just once. If you had left it at that, it would have passed. When you complain that rape has happened, the accused is put in jail. But his lawyers ask how did it happen? When did it happen and how many times? The rape happens once but you get raped 100 times in court. This is my condition."