Congress MLA Defends "Delivery" Remark At Journalist, Refuses To Apologise

A day after he sparked a massive row with his tone-deaf reply to a woman journalist in Karnataka, senior Congress MLA RV Deshpande refused to apologise and said his comments were misinterpreted.

The former Karnataka minister, who was on a visit to Joida in the Uttara Kannada district, was asked when the people of the region would get a super speciality hospital, since many people, especially pregnant women, were suffering because of the lack of one.

"We'll get yours done in (neighbouring) Haliyal," he answered. Mr Deshpande is an MLA from Haliyal.

When the shocked journalist asked him what he just said, Mr Deshpande brazenly said, "When it's time for your delivery, we will get it done".

Today, while speaking to NDTV, he defended his remarks and said, "The facts have been misinterpreted. I said the multi-speciality hospital is on the cards (in the region)... Whatever I said wasn't to hurt anybody or cause any harm"

When he was told that his remarks were on camera, he dismissed it and said, "It's all nonsense".

He also said that he knows the journalist - Radha Hiregoudar - the Editor-In-Chief of Guarantee News Kannada, very well and that she hasn't spoken to him about the matter yet.

When Mr Deshpande was asked if he would apologise, he just said, "Thank you".

The senior journalist told NDTV that she asked the leader about the hospital because this has been a demand for years.

"There has been a demand for a multi-speciality hospital in the region for years now. He is the seven-time MLA from there. For any serious case, patients need to go outside the Uttara Kannada region," she said.

"I was so upset with his remark. I didn't say anything then because I didn't want to spoil the environment there. But once I came to my news channel's office, I decided to seek an apology from him. He needs to apologise to every woman who died during childbirth in the region," Ms Hiregoudar added.

Criticising him for not apologising for his remarks, she said, "He hasn't apologised till now. He thinks he is a king as the people voted for him so many times. But this perception needs to change. Maybe he does not understand the gravity of the situation due to his age."

The comment of the 78-year-old leader, who once won the best MLA of the year award, has drawn flak from the BJP. In a post on 'X', BJP state president BY Vijayendra said, "Pregnant women are facing a dire situation due to the lack of proper hospitals, and in this regard, when a media colleague drew the attention of former minister and senior legislator Deshpande to the need for a multi-specialty hospital, the words spoken by Deshpande were not befitting his age, experience, and dignity."

"The statement he made, which was expressed in a manner that insults womankind, is something that civilised society can never accept. In this regard, R V Deshpande should retract his statement and apologise," Mr Vijayendra said.