K. Manjula, the President of BJP’s Karnataka Mahila Morcha, expressed concern on Monday that women, particularly in the northern regions of the state, do not feel safe under the current government. She made these remarks while participating in a protest in Belagavi, condemning the rising number of maternal deaths in the state.
Manjula pointed to the tragic death of Neha Hiremath in Hubballi, allegedly due to a love affair, and claimed that after the BJP’s defeat in the region, the influence of anti-social elements and bullying had significantly increased. “My party workers from north Karnataka have told me that the situation has worsened,” she added.
She also highlighted the Bengaluru Rameshwaram Cafe blast incident, where a woman lost her eyesight. While Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar initially tried to downplay the attack as a result of business rivalry, investigations later revealed that the accused had links to Pakistan and had planned to target the BJP office. “The Congress has tried to defend every such case,” Manjula asserted.
Further criticizing the Siddaramaiah government, Manjula accused it of withdrawing cases against rioters involved in the Hubballi violence and freeing hundreds of accused individuals, including 175 murder suspects. “By doing so, the government has compromised the safety of women and surrendered to anti-social elements,” she said.
BJP State President B.Y. Vijayendra joined the criticism, alleging that the government was treating the Winter Assembly Session like a “picnic” and neglecting serious issues like the assault of a Scheduled Tribe woman last year. He also accused Chief Minister Siddaramaiah of undermining women’s welfare by halting the Bhagya Laxmi scheme, a program introduced by former CM B.S. Yediyurappa to combat female feticide.
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