NEW DELHI:
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra Friday condemned the party’s Karnataka MLA Ramesh Kumar controversial remarks on rape, saying they are ”indefensible”.
”I wholeheartedly condemn the statement made earlier today by Sri K R Ramesh Kumar. It is inexplicable how anyone can ever utter such words, they are indefensible. Rape is a heinous crime. Full stop,” she said on Twitter.
I wholeheartedly condemn the statement made earlier today by Sri. K.R.Ramesh Kumar. It is inexplicable how anyone can ever utter such words, they are indefensible. Rape is a heinous crime. Full stop.
— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) December 17, 2021
Congress leader Randeep Surjewala also said that the party disapproves of such remarks.
”Congress Party disapproves the exchange of highly objectionable and insensitive banter between Karnataka Assembly Speaker and senior Congress MLA in the House,” Surjewala, who is the AICC general secretary in-charge for Karnataka, tweeted.
Congress Party disapproves the exchange of highly objectionable & insensitive banter between Karnataka Assembly Speaker & Sr. Congress MLA in the House.
— Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) December 17, 2021
Speaker as custodian & Sr legislators are expected to be role models & should desist from such unacceptable behaviour.
”The Speaker as custodian and senior legislators are expected to be role models and should desist from such unacceptable behaviour,” he also said.
Senior Congress MLA and former Karnataka assembly speaker K R Ramesh Kumar courted controversy Thursday by saying, ”When rape is inevitable, lie down and enjoy it.” He later apologised for his “off the cuff remark”. As the proceedings of the Assembly began Friday, Kumar stood up and said he made a statement (in the Legislative Assembly on Thursday), which people found outrageous.
”However, my intention was never to demean the prestige of this House or behave in an inferior way. I will not defend myself. I tender my sincere apology for my utterance during the proceedings of the house if it has hurt people from any part of the country,” Kumar said.
He also apologised to the Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri for his statement, which made him laugh and thereby attracted him criticism.
The Speaker too accepted his apology and appealed to the members, especially women MLAs, not to drag the matter further and make it a big issue.
