Bengaluru mass molestation: Home Minister blames 'western ways'

January 2, 2017

Bengaluru, Jan 2: New Year revelry turned into a nightmare for several women who were allegedly molested despite huge police presence at a large gathering in city's downtown region, drawing widespread outrage even as the state Home minister stoked a controversy by blaming the youngsters' "western ways" for the incidents.

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National Commission for Women chairperson Lalitha Kumaramangalam came down heavily on the police and slammed home minister G Parameshwara's remarks, demanding that he should resign. The NCW as well as the Karnataka State Commission for Women also sought separate reports from administration and police over the incidents.

Police today said they were looking for the culprits involved in the alleged incidents on Saturday night in and around the junction of Brigade Road and M G Road, where thousands had gathered to herald the New Year.

Eyewitness accounts suggest that women were molested and groped and lewd remarks were also passed by miscreants late night on December 31 in the posh area even as it was claimed that 1,500 police personnel had been deployed to control the crowds.

While women without any male companions had to seek protection from women police personnel, who were very few in number on the spot, men who had come with female friends had a tough time protecting them, according to eyewitnesses.

Speaking to reporters, Home Minister G Parameshwara said "It is not good. Definitely we will look into it and see that it is not repeated."

"There was need to look into how such events can be organised and regulated... We cannot have 10,000 police men," he said.

Speaking to a TV news channel, he said: "Unfortunately, what is happening is as I said days like new year Brigade Road, Commercial Street, M G Road, large number of youngsters gather. Youngsters who are almost like westerners, they try to copy the westerners not only in the mindset, but even the dressing."

The minister's remarks drew an angry response from the NCW chairperson who demanded the Home Minister should resign and apologise to the women of the country for making such remarks.

"Such remarks from the Home Minister are unacceptable and regrettable. I want to ask this Minister that are Indian men so pathetic and weak that when they see a woman in western clothes on a day of revelry, they get out of control?

"When will they Indian men learn to respect women. The Minister should apologise to the women of the country and resign," Kumaramangalam said.

Police claimed that thay had made elaborate security arrangements for the New Year eve with 1,500 policemen on duty and several CCTV cameras installed, besides Karnataka State Reserve Police, City Armed Reserve and watch towers erected to keep a close watch.

Police at the spot were apparently outnumbered to control the miscreants.

"We will try to identify the culprits and take action against them," Karnataka DGP Om Prakash said.

Police said they had not received any complaints of molestation from anyone.

NCW chairperson Lalitha Kumaramangalam said, "We are absolutely appalled (with the incident)... We have taken suo motu cognisance on it and have sent off the same to the home minister, the head of the police, chief secretary."

"We want a reply immediately and if the reply is unsatisfactory, we will send a team to find out why the police has not suo motu taken cognisance of the incident," she said.

"I am told that they haven't even looked at the footage they may have from cameras etc and the possibility that they are using the fact that nobody has made an official complaint as an excuse, cannot be ruled out," she said.

Meanwhile, Karnataka Commission for Women Chairperson Nagalakshmi Bai told PTI, "I have taken cognisance of the reported incident. I have sought a report from police. After getting the report, I will take further action."

Police had extended the deadline allowing restaurants, bars and pubs to remain open till 2 AM on New Year's eve.

They had issued strict warnings to mischief-mongers besides asserting that adequate security arrangements had been made ahead of New Year's eve.

Also Read: Bengaluru witnesses mass molestation of women during New Year celebration

Comments

Deanne
 - 
Tuesday, 17 Jan 2017

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Rashid
 - 
Tuesday, 3 Jan 2017

Home minister is right, copying western culture, roam in the streets with half naked dresses... at least women can dress like man... why they show their body parts to others.... chair person of NCW may lecture or question patients of men...but she should understand the reality .

Althaf
 - 
Tuesday, 3 Jan 2017

New year celebration for what!!! When people of India celebrated new year celebration in Dec 31st 2015 in a hope that 2016 will be happy for them. But unfortunately MODI Ruined life of common people of india. No more joy for poor people. 2016 brought happy only to BJP and industrialists. Wake up o people. Acche Din aane wale hai in 2017.

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News Network
June 29,2020

Mangaluru, Jun 29: A hospital set up in 1848 in the Port City has to remain closed till July 5 as majority of the Doctors and Staff at Lady Goschen Government Hospital are quarantined after coming in contact with a COVID-19 infected person.

Hospital Medical Superintendent said that both in-patient and out-patient wings of the hospital will remain closed till July 5 as there is a need to fumigate and sanitise all the departments of the hospital. Patients for treatment under 'Ayushman Bharat – Arogya Karnataka' scheme will be sent to private medical colleges with the referral card from the hospital. The hospital will start functioning normally from July 6.

The Lady Goschen Government Hospital, earlier known as the maternity Hospital, is the oldest hospital in the district and dates back to 1848.

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News Network
April 10,2020

Bengaluru, Apr 10: With 10 new COVID-19 cases, Karnataka's tally of coronavirus cases has climbed to 207, the Karnataka government has said.

The 207 COVID-19 cases include 30 discharged and 6 deaths. Out of 10 new cases, 9 are close contacts of people who had earlier tested positive for coronavirus.

"10 more COVID-19 positive cases reported in Karnataka, taking the total number of positive cases in the state to 207, including 6 deaths and 30 discharged. 9 of the 10 new cases, are close contacts of people who had tested positive for the virus earlier," said the Karnataka government.

Meanwhile, the State Department of Health and Family Welfare has further notified 14 more COVID-19 dedicated hospitals in the state.

These hospitals include Bagalkot District Hospital, Chamarajanagar Institute of Medical Sciences, District Hospital Chikkaballapur, SNR District Hospital, Kandaya Bhavan Ramanagar, Tumkur District Hospital, Karwar Institute of Medical Sciences Uttara Kannada, Vijayapura District Hospital and Yadgiri District Hospital.

India's total number of coronavirus positive cases rose to 6,412 on Friday.

Out of the total cases, 5,709 are active patients and 503 of them have been cured/discharged, as per the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

With 30 new deaths reported in the last 12 hours, the toll stands at 199.

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News Network
February 22,2020

Bengaluru, Feb 22: Student activist Amulya Leona, who was arrested on sedition charge after she raised ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ slogans during an anti-CAA event at Bengaluru’s Freedom Park on Thursday evening, has now criticised the organisers of the event for snatching away microphone from her hand.

The event was organised by ‘Hindu Muslim Sikh Isaai Federation’. Soon after she started pro-Pak slogans All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi rushed and tried to snatch mic from her hand. When she continued to speak, her microphone was deactivated.

According to police, the 19-year-old BA journalism student blamed her predicament on the organisers of the protest for not allowing her to complete what she wanted to say on stage.

"Maybe she had intended to say what she had recently posted on her Facebook page where she has said ‘Zindabad’ to all the countries, including India and Pakistan. But it went awry. She was not answering any of our questions, but kept saying she had not done anything wrong," a senior police officer was quoted as saying by a news paper.

The police have booked Leona for sedition and promoting enmity between groups. After her arrest, she was thoroughly questioned by the police for over two hours. After recording her statement, the police produced her before a magistrate in the wee hours of Friday. When she was taken to the judge’s residence, located at the National Games Village in Koramangala, Leona pointed towards the TV cameras and flashed a victory sign.

As the police did not seek her custody, the judge remanded her to judicial custody and she was subsequently taken to Bengaluru Central Prison at Parappana Agrahara. Her advocate is expected to file a bail application in the court on Monday.

When the police took her into custody at Freedom Park and quizzed her, she reportedly did not answer any of their questions but kept insisting that she had not done anything anti-national to be charged with sedition.

"It was the organisers’ mistake to snatch the mike from me before I completed what I had to say. Because of them, I have been arrested today. If they had given me a chance to complete what I had to say, nothing like this would have happened. Now, there is no point in telling you what I intended to speak there. But I can say that there was nothing anti-national in what I did. You can initiate action against me and my advocate will fight the case," a source, citing Leona, said.

The police recorded whatever she said as her voluntary statement and submitted it to the magistrate. "We tried to find out why she did what she did and whether there was anyone else behind her making such a statement. But it appears she had done it on her own," the police official said.

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