BENGALURU: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday accused BJP National President J P Nadda of playing politics over the Belagavi incident wherein a tribal woman was paraded naked.
“BJP’s rule in Karnataka witnessed multiple instances of violence against women, but BJP National President J P Nadda has forgotten this to politically target us. Unfortunately, he is using a recent incident of violence against a woman in Belagavi for politics,” Siddaramaiah posted on X.
A 42-year-old woman was stripped naked, paraded, and assaulted after being tied to an electric pole early on Monday in Karnataka’s Belagavi district after her son eloped with a woman, police said, adding that they had arrested seven people in connection with the incident.
“The violence inflicted on a woman and her family members in Belagavi is highly condemnable. It is shameful that BJP President Nadda is exploiting such an incident for political gain,” Siddaramaiah added.
The Chief Minister said that as soon as the Belagavi incident came to light, the state Home Minister G Parameshwara, and Minister of Women and Child Welfare Laxmi Hebbalkar visited the survivor’s home not only to console her but also to provide compensation.
The police had apprehended the culprits within 24 hours and put them behind bars, he said.
“I am personally overseeing the investigation of this case. Our government is committed to ensuring that such inhumane acts do not occur by meting out strict punishment to the guilty,” Siddaramaiah said.
The Chief Minister claimed that the state BJP leaders were also satisfied with the measures taken by the state government. However, Nadda’s sudden awakening and his attempt to stir up this case four days after the incident indicate a political motive rather than genuine concern for women, he alleged.
“If Nadda genuinely cared for women, he would have taken action against the previous BJP government for failing to protect them. According to the National Crime Bureau (NCRB) report, there were 17,813 cases of violence against women in Karnataka during the last year (2022) of BJP rule, compared to 14,468 cases the previous year in 2021. What was the BJP National President doing then? Was he in exile? Did he not notice the increasing cases of violence against women under their own government year after year?” he asked.
The Chief Minister alleged that from Manipur to Gujarat, from Uttar Pradesh to Madhya Pradesh, wherever BJP is in power, the cases of violence against women are increasing, as reported by the NCRB. These cases prove that BJP is inherently anti-women, he alleged.
He alleged that the internal disputes within the state BJP were escalating while denting the party’s reputation. Senior leaders of the party were making serious allegations against the party president and Opposition leaders, he said.
“If Nadda has the courage and power, he should send an investigative committee to look into these allegations,” Siddaramaiah said on X. (ANI)
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