Bengaluru: Karnataka home minister G Parameshwara Monday came under flak from the opposition parties and women’s rights groups for playing down concerns over women’s safety in Bengaluru, saying “in a big city like Bengaluru, incidents like this (molestation) do take place here and there”.
Parameshwara’s comment came after a woman was reportedly molested in Bharathi Layout, Suddaguntepalya, in the early hours of April 3. According to police, two women were walking on a road when an unidentified man approached them, pushed one of them against a wall, and molested her before fleeing the scene. The video of the incident has gone viral.
Reacting to the incident, Parameshwara claimed police are working continuously — be it cold or rain — and that such incidents, though “unfortunate”, are not uncommon in a city of Bengaluru’s size. “Police are working continuously round the clock ignoring rain and cold. That is why there is peace in Bengaluru,” he said, adding the police presence has contributed to the city’s safety.
The minister said he regularly instructs Bengaluru City police commissioner B Dayananda to intensify patrols and improve monitoring across the city. “I tell him that patrolling should happen in every area in a disciplined and effective way. We take action as per law. Beat system has to be made very effective. That is the reason that I directed the police commissioner about it,” he added.
Parameshwara’s remarks, especially his suggestion that such crimes are not unexpected in large cities, have drawn criticism from women’s rights groups and opposition alike.
BJP demanded that Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra respond to Parameshwara’s remark. In Delhi, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla called Parameshwara a “serial offender”, accusing him of making similar comments in 2017.
“This is a brazen display of a misogynist, patriarchal, sexist and obnoxious mindset,” Poonawalla said. He alleged crimes against women have risen by 50% in Congress-ruled Karnataka and accused the minister of trivialising serious offences while police have yet to arrest the culprits.
4% Muslim quota in tenders a conscious decision
Parameshwara said the Congress govt’s decision to grant 4% Muslim quota in govt tenders was aimed at bringing backward communities into the mainstream. He said minorities like Muslims, who form 16-18% of Karnataka’s population, must be taken along through inclusive policies.
He defended the use of SCP-TSP funds for guarantee schemes and said the Congress model is being studied by other states, including BJP-ruled ones. Responding to BJP’s Janakrosh Yatra, Parameshwara said there is no public anger, only BJP’s frustration over Congress’s successful governance and implementation of guarantees.
“The BJP didn’t expect us to deliver on our promises. But we did, and that has earned people’s trust,” he said, adding that CM Siddaramaiah’s budget has been widely appreciated.