Karnataka Home Minister G Parameswara on Monday kicked off a row as he sought to underplay the alleged sexual assault of a woman in Bengaluru and said that such incidents "tend to happen...in big cities" such as the state capital.
The entire incident, caught on CCTV camera, shows a man following two women on a Bengaluru street before groping one of them and then fleeing the spot.
According to the police, the incident took place on April 3 in a secluded street in the Bharati Layout area of Suddaguntepalya in Bengaluru. According to Sarah Fathima, DCP South East Bengaluru, a probe has been launched into the matter and a FIR also has been registered under sections 74, 75, 78 of the BNS.
Amid mounting outrage over the incident since the CCTV footage went viral on social media, Parameswara courted controversy with his remarks, possibly adding to the anger over the molestation.
"I keep telling the police commissioner daily to be careful, to monitor all areas through patrolling. This is something I say almost every day. When some incidents happen here and there, of course people's attention will be drawn towards them. The cops are working 24X7. Some incidents happen here and there. In such a big city, such incidents will happen. We will take necessary action according to the law. I have spoken to the commissioner this morning too," he said, as per news agency ANI.
While the police have registered an FIR in the matter, they are still unaware about the identity of the woman seen in the video and is yet to receive a complaint on the said incident.
The BJP, meanwhile, has hit out at the CM Siddaramaiah-led Congress government over the incident and said the viral video has exposed the reality of the city's law and order situation and that Bengaluru was becoming "increasingly unsafe" for women.
"This is such an insensitive remark. Is he normalising sexual assault and crimes against women? He is shying away from responsibility and doesn't want to be accountable," BJP spokesperson Prashanth G said.
BJP MLA and former deputy chief minister Ashwath Narayan also slammed the Home minister for his remark and reflects his helplessness.
"The groping incident is condemnable. The Home Minister's response is disgusting and demotivating. People are losing confidence because of these incidents and statements. His statement shows how helpless he is as a home minister. He should make a responsible statement," said Narayan.
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