After a large number of women were allegedly molested on MG Road and Brigade Road in the heart of Bengaluru by a mob during New Year, Karnataka home minister G Parameshwara reacted on it by saying “these kinds of things do happen”.
“In events like New Year or Christmas Day, there are women who are harassed or treated badly. We take precautionary measures. But unfortunately, on days like New Year, a large number of youngsters gather on Brigade Road, Commercial Street and MG Road. And youngsters are almost like westerners. They try to copy the west, not only in their mindset but even in their dressing. So some disturbance, some girls are harassed, these kinds of things do happen,” said Parameshwara to a TV channel on Monday while reacting to the disgraceful event.
He further added that 1,500 police personnel had been deployed in the area. He said, “There are all kinds of people from different states and different cultures. We can’t say you have to only behave like this; you have to dress like Kannadigas. Night life is regulated every day but on a day like New Year’s or Christmas; definitely it has to have a different approach. Now we will look into this.”
His comments drew much backlash as he shifted the blame on to women instead of blaming poor intelligence and policing. Some drunken unruly men molested women during the New Year celebration on Saturday night at Brigade Road and MG Road in Bengaluru.
A photojournalist from the Bangalore Mirror alleged that he had seen several distraught women approaching police women and complaining that hooligans had molested them and made lewd remarks during the New Year celebrations on December 31.
According to Bangalore Mirror, “hooligans in the garb of revellers started pawing, molesting and passing lewd remarks on women on the streets, forcing some of them to literally take off their stilettoes and run for help.” Photos published in the Bangalore Mirror showed distressed women pleading with cops for protection from the goons.
Also read: Mob molests Bengaluru women on New Year’s eve; no cases filed
However, the city police had not registered any case of molestation or harassment although there were several photographic evidences and eye-witness accounts.
