Karnataka Home Minister withdraws loose remarks on Mysuru rape case
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Bengaluru: A day after the gang-rape of a college student near Chamundi foothills has shocked Mysuru, Home Minister Araga Jnanendra has caused massive outrage with his loose comments suggesting that the victim and her friend should not have gone to the desolated place and that they should have been more careful.
"She should not have gone there. It is a desolate place. She went there late in the evening. The victim lady should not have gone to an isolated place at 7.30 p.m. But, people are free to go anywhere any time," he remarked.
Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai opposed Jnanendra's loose remarks.
Jnanendra, later on, withdrew his statements which created a furore and said that he had no intention to hurt anyone. He also attacked the Congress for politicising the issue."
"Attacking the Congress, he said gang rape was an inhuman act, but the Congress is trying to politicise the issue. They are unfairly demanding my resignation and the government's resignation, it is not fair. I didn't mean to hurt the feelings of Congress leaders. I said it jokingly," he said.
He also said that the incident in a cultural town like Mysuru has created a black mark on the whole of the state and said that it should not have happened.
"The police filed an FIR within 12 hours of the incident. The investigation is being taken up before the recording of the statements by the victims," he added.
"I have deputed senior officers to look into the issue. They are probing from all angles," Jnanendra said.
KPCC President D.K. Shivakumar reacting to the statement of Araga Jnanendra urged him to arrest those Congress leaders who raped him. "He has taken up the portfolio very recently. He is stating that Congress is raping me. The 'rape' word seems to be dear and natural to him. I want answers from all the BJP leaders of the state. I am asking the DGP to file FIR on all Congress leaders who have raped him even if it is Shivakumar or Opposition leader Siddaramaiah," he demanded.