The outrageous comment by Ramesh Kumar was made during a discussion on farmers’ issues when Vishweshwar questioned how the session can be conducted if time was allotted to everyone.
New Delhi: After the indifferent and negligent comments made by the Congress MLA Ramesh Kumar, the leader apologizes. Congress Leader said that ‘when rape is inevitable, enjoy it’ to Karnataka Assembly Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri.
Apologizingly he stated that his intentions were not trivialized, he said “I would like to express my sincere apologies to everyone for the indifferent and negligent comment I made in today’s assembly about “Rape!” My intention was not trivialize or make light of the heinous crime, but an off the cuff remark! I will choose my words carefully henceforth!” Congress MLA KR Ramesh Kumar wrote in a tweet last night.
I would like to express my sincere apologies to everyone for the indifferent and negligent comment I made in today’s assembly about “Rape!” My intention was not trivialise or make light of the heinous crime, but an off the cuff remark! I will choose my words carefully henceforth!
— K. R. Ramesh Kumar (@KRRameshKumar1) December 16, 2021
The outrageous comment was made during a discussion on farmers’ issues when Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri questioned how the session can be conducted if time was allotted to everyone.
“Whatever you decide – I will say yes. What I am thinking is that let us enjoy the situation. I can’t control or regulate the system. My concern is about the business of the house, it has also to be covered,” he asked.
To this, the Congress MLA said: “There is a saying that when rape is inevitable, lie down and enjoy it. That is exactly the position which you are in.” Shockingly, others in the state assembly laughed in response.
But it was the comment that was later met with huge criticism. “The comment is obnoxious and outright disgraceful. He is a serial offender while he was the Speaker of the assembly he had made a similar comment. Now again, he has repeated it. The Congress, which has always claimed it is there for women’s safety and security, must immediately initiate action against this serial offender.” BJP leader S Prakash remarked.
This is not the first time that Mr. Kumar, 72, has made such an objectionable comment. In 2019, he had compared himself to a “rape survivor”.
Pointing to repeated reference to charges against him on being part of some controversial audiotapes, he said his “situation was like that of a rape victim, as they too are supposedly questioned about the incident repeatedly”.
Earlier this year, Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra’s questionable reaction to the Mysore rape case, which sparked huge protests, had also led to criticism. The gang-rape victim and her male friend should not have gone to the deserted place, he had said.
Slamming the Congress for making it a political issue, the Home Minister further said, “Rape has happened there (in Mysuru), but the Congress was trying to rape me, they are trying to rape the Home Minister. They are trying to gain political mileage.”
The insensitive comments from elected representatives come even as the country continues to see an uptick in crimes against women.
Data released by the National Crime Records Bureau earlier this year showed that India had recorded an average of 77 rape cases daily in 2020.
In Karnataka, the state police data showed 1,168 rape cases were reported across the state between January 2019 and May 2021 – an average of at least one rape a day.
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