’Why Was She Playing Tennis at Night?’ Karnataka Minister on Gang-Rape

mangaloretoday.com

Bengaluru, Nov 13:  His predecessor questioned how a sexual assault by two people could be called gang-rape. Now Karnataka’s new home minister appears to blame a woman who was allegedly raped by two security guards at a tennis club in Bengaluru.

"Why should a woman go to play tennis at 9.30 in the night?" G Parameshwara, who took charge as home minister earlier this month, commented on Thursday.

 

The 30-year-old woman was allegedly gang-raped by two security guards at the club near Bengaluru’s well-known Cubbon Park on Wednesday night.

She had come for a membership at the club and had been asked to come back the next day.

The guards allegedly spotted her at the parking lot of the club and approached her, offering to help her gain membership. They allegedly took her to a deserted stretch and assaulted her.

The minister today denied the comment. "I didn’t make that statement...I said the incident happened at 9.30 in the evening and police were quick enough to arrest those two persons. That’s all I said...the media twisted my statement," Mr Parameshwara said.

Union Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi said the minister should resign.

"I believe this is not the first time he’s made such statements. Not only is it insensitive, it doesn’t send the right message. If he is not interested in his work... he should step down," Mrs Gandhi said.

Mr Parameshwara, who is also the state Congress chief, is the latest Karnataka politician to make insensitive comments on rape in recent months.

Last month, when a 22-year-old call centre employee was gangraped by two men, then home minister KJ George had said: "How is it a gang rape if two people rape? Shouldn’t there be at least three or four people for it to be called gang rape?"

Days later, he was replaced by Mr Parameshwara.

A senior leader of the state’s opposition BJP was also pilloried when responding to a reporter’s question, he said: "You are here. If someone takes you and rapes you, what is the opposition supposed to do? Tell me?"