Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Tuesday apologised for his controversial ‘big city incident’ remark related to a sexual assault case in the state capital Bengaluru.
Earlier, while reacting to a sexual assault case in Bengaluru, the state Home Minister made a shocking remark and said, ‘such incidents happen here and there in a big city’.
Parameshwara’s comments on the matter sparked a huge row and prompted the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to slam the Congress government in the state.
According to IANS, talking to reporters in Bengaluru on Tuesday the Karnataka Minister clarified that his statement was miscommunicated to the public.
Parameshwara said, “I want to clarify my statement. It was miscommunicated to the public. If my statement has pained our mothers and sisters, I express my sincere regret.”
The Minister added that he has always stood for the protection of women.
“I have always stood for the protection of women. We have launched several initiatives, and our state has utilised a major portion of the funds allotted under the Nirbhaya scheme,” he continued.
Attacking the previous BJP government in Karnataka, Parameshwara said that people will ‘laugh’ if the party claims there were no crimes during its regime.
The state Home Minister added, “When the BJP was in power, should I reveal data on murders and other crimes? People will laugh if the BJP claims no crime occurred during its tenure.”
On his earlier statement, Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara says, “I have provided many programs for women’s safety, including the Nirbhaya project in the state. We have implemented the Nirbhaya project grants more than any other states in the country. It is not right to… https://t.co/MpvFcu621D pic.twitter.com/KCaoYYQhS6
— ANI (@ANI) April 8, 2025
Also Read: ‘Incidents Like These Happen…’: K’taka Minister’s Shocking Remark On Bengaluru Woman Assault Case
BJP’s Reaction To Parameshwara’s Remarks
On Monday, slamming the Minister, Karnataka BJP President B. Y. Vijayendra said that Paramaeshwara’s remarks were open admission that law and order have collapsed in Karnataka.
Since the Congress came to power in the state, there has been a continuous series of crimes including murder, robbery, extortion, assaults, and rapes targeting women and children, Vijayendra said.
IANS quoted the state BJP Chief as saying, “The Home Minister’s statement downplaying the harassment of a young woman in broad daylight as a ‘routine incident’ has tarnished the image and dignity of the state on an international level. His remarks reflect nothing but his incompetence.”
BJP Leader Shehzad Poonawalla slammed the Karnataka Home Minister and said that this is a display of ‘misogynistic, patriarchal, sexist and obnoxious’ mindset.
He said, “Display of the most shocking misogynistic, patriarchal, sexist, and obnoxious mindset. The Home Minister of Karnataka has trivialised the incident that has shaken the conscience of the nation and particularly the people of Karnataka and Bengaluru, particularly the women.”
“Today, we have come across such a statement from the Home Minister of Karnataka, which has made us feel embarrassed and ashamed of ourselves… Three to four days have lapsed since the shocking incident took place, but the Karnataka Police have been unable to catch the accused. Instead of showing seriousness and taking action, there is a statement from the Home Minister of Karnataka, and it appears that he stands by the molester. The state home minister says that such small incidents happen in big cities.”
#WATCH | On Karnataka Home Minister Dr. G Parameshwara’s remarks on the Bengaluru woman sexual assault case, BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla says, “Display of the most shocking misogynistic, patriarchal, sexist and obnoxious mindset. The Home Minister of Karnataka has trivialised… pic.twitter.com/or0WtW9LRT
— ANI (@ANI) April 7, 2025
Parameshwara’s controversial remarks came in after a 17-second video showing a man groping a woman and then escaping went viral on Sunday. As per IANS, the incident occurred at around 2 am on April 4 in the jurisdiction of the Sadduguntepalya police station, and the police have registered an FIR based on a complaint filed by a resident. They have also launched a search for the accused.
(with agencies’ inputs)
