K’taka minister’s remark on Mysuru rape triggers row

Karnataka home minister Araga Jnanendra’s statement questioning why a 22-year-old medical student, who was gang-raped near Mysuru, and her friend went to a “deserted spot” in the evening triggered a controversy and prompted criticism by opposition leaders in the state. Amidst calls for action, Jnanendra said on Thursday: “It was a deserted place. First of all, they should not have gone there at night... Now, people have blamed the police for not patrolling the area. I will look into these lapses.” He also equated criticism over his handling of the situation as the Congress attempting to “rape” him by trying to gain “political mileage”. The 22-year-old woman was allegedly raped by five men and her male friend beaten up on the outskirts of Mysuru on Tuesday. Condemning the remarks, Karnataka Congress leader DK Shivakumar said the minister has “taken the word ‘rape’ lightly”. Jnanendra later said he was withdrawing his statement.

BENGALURU: A political row pertaining to the Mysuru gangrape erupted on Thursday after Karnataka home minister Araga Jnanendra questioned the timing of the survivor’s visit to a deserted spot and alleged that the Congress was trying to “rape” him by targeting him in the case.

While addressing reporters here, Jnanendra, a first-time minister who was inducted into the Basavaraj Bommai cabinet recently, said: “It was a deserted place. First of all, they should not have gone there at night. We cannot stop anyone from going anywhere. People don’t go there as it is deserted, but these two people had gone there. Now, people have blamed the police for not patrolling the area. I will look into these lapses.”

Accusing the Congress of trying to “rape” him by trying to gain political mileage out of the case, Jnanendra said: “The rape has taken place there (Mysuru). But Congress is trying to rape me, the home minister, here. They are trying to get political mileage out of this incident. This is an inhuman act. We have to worry about how to prevent such incidents in the future and how our police force must work.”

The Congress had criticised the law and order situation in the state after a 22-year-old woman was allegedly raped by five men near Chamundi Hill in Mysuru on Tuesday. The girl and her male friend, who was assaulted by the gang, are undergoing treatment in a private hospital.

Chief minister Basavaraj S Bommai disapproved of the home minister’s remarks and said he had sought a clarification in this regard. “I just don’t agree with the comments made by my home minister regarding the gang-rape incident. I have advised him to give clarification,” he told reporters.

Condemning the home minister’s remarks, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president DK Shivakumar urged the police to arrest his partymen involved in “raping the home minister”. “The Home Minister has taken the word ‘rape’ very lightly. He claims the Congressmen are trying to rape the home minister of the state and I demand the DGP file an FIR under section 376 of the Indian Penal Code against all the Congressmen who are trying to rape and immediately arrest them,” Shivakumar said.

Later, a statement from Jnanendra’s office said he had withdrawn the remarks against the Congress leaders.

THE CONGRESS HAD CRITICISED THE LAW AND ORDER SITUATION AFTER THE CASE CAME TO LIGHT