Reacting to the alleged gangrape of a young woman in Mysuru, Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra has said that the MBA student and her friend should not have been travelling in a desolated area at 7.30 pm. On Tuesday evening, a student was allegedly gangraped by four men and her friend was attacked near Chamundi Hills in Mysuru. The student, riding pillion with her friend, was on her way back from Chamundi Hills, a popular tourist destination.
After speaking to the police in Mysuru, Jnanendra said, “Around 7.30 pm, they went there. It is a desolate area. They should not have gone there that late. We don't have any right to ask people not to go anywhere. They went”. He added that he is seeking an explanation from the police as to why there were no patrol vehicles in that area. So far, no arrests have been made in the case right now and the survivor is receiving medical treatment in a hospital in Mysuru.
#Karnataka home minister Araga Jananedra has put his foot in his mouth. First he claimed @INCKarnataka is raping him instead of helping him do his job. Then he says victim shouldn't have gone to that spot. pic.twitter.com/LZl5nvTvKM
— Imran Khan (@ImranTheJourno) August 26, 2021
The Home Minister’s insensitivity did not end there. While reacting to the Opposition’s allegations of the government’s handling of the law and order situation in the state, Araga Jnanendra said, “The Congress is trying to rape me, they are trying to rape the Home Minister”.
#Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra says Congress raping him over the Mysuru gangrape issue. And he has defended this saying he was joking. He is responsible for law and order in Karnataka. pic.twitter.com/86ycItXScB
— Pooja Prasanna (@PoojaPrasanna4) August 26, 2021
He defended his comments later when a Kannada news channel sought his reaction. He said that he was just joking when he made the statement and there should be no politics played over it.
So far, there has been no reaction from Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai or anybody else in the Karnataka government to the Home Minister’s statement. The BJP too has refused to comment on the Home Minister’s statement so far.
The Congress reacted to the statement in a press conference held by the state president DK Shivakumar. “He (Araga Jnanendra) seems to be using the term rape very casually. I will not seek a response from him but will ask the leaders of his party to respond to this statement of the Home Minister,” Shivakumar said.
But Shivakumar too managed to add an insensitive comment. While continuing to attack the Home Minister, Shivakumar said, “If there are any Congress leaders who are raping the Home Minister, I demand that they be booked under the relevant section of the IPC. Whoever it may be, it could be Ugrappa, me or even Siddaramaiah”.
After much outrage, the Home Minister issued a statement saying he had no intention to hurt anybody. " I had withdrawn the statement made earlier with regard to the Congress party leaders. If my statement hurt anyone, I will apologise for it and withdraw the same,” Araga Jnanendra said speaking to the press on Thursday evening. The statement comes after reports that said that Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai had sought an explanation from the Home Minister and also slammed him for the statements made with regard to the Mysuru gangrape.