Bengaluru: Hundreds of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Mahila Morcha members on Thursday staged a dharna in Bengaluru protesting Minister for Home Dr G Parameshwara’s controversial statement on the molestation incident that took place during the New Year celebrations on Brigade Road. Later the agitators tried to lay siege to Vidhana Soudha but police took them into preventive custody.
Earlier addressing the agitators, BJP MP Shobha Karandlaje described the molestation incident as an unfortunate incident and criticized the state government for failing to ensure safety of women in Bengaluru. “The molestation incidents on Brigade Road and at Kammanahalli have brought a bad name to Bengaluru. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Minister for Home Dr G Parameshwara have completely failed to take suitable measures to prevent atrocities on women,’’ she said.
Condemning Dr Parameshwara’s controversial statement attributing women costumes as the cause for molestation incidents, the BJP MP said that Dr Parameshwara, being Minister for Home, should not have issued such statement. “The incidents of violence against women have been increased during Congress regime in the state. The incidents against women in Kalaburgi, Vijayapura, Kolara, Bengaluru, Davanagere and Belagavi are the example of the failure of law and order in the state. These incidents have brought bad name to the state. The state government has failed in protecting women in the state,’’ she said.
Stating that rapists had not spared minor girls, physically-challenged girls and senior citizens, she said the police department has failed in preventing the crime in the state. “Home minister said that costumes of women were responsible for the crime against women. He is not supposed to issue such statement,’’ she said.
BJP State Mahila Morcha president Bharathi Shetty, State Mahila Morcha vice president Shilpa Ganesh, Bengaluru City Mahila Morcha unit president Sharada Nayak and others participated in the agitation.
