Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara has apologised after his remark on a sexual assault incident in Bengaluru triggered public anger. His comment that such incidents occur in big cities followed an outage over a video showing a man groping a woman on a street in Bengaluru - drawing criticism from the opposition BJP.
Mr Parameshwara claimed that his statement was misunderstood, and he didn't want it to be twisted further.
"I want to clarify that the statement I made yesterday wasn't understood properly, I am someone who has always had a lot of concern for the safety of women. I have ensured that Nirbhaya funds are utilised well for the safety of women. I don't want my statement to be twisted. If any woman has been hurt, I express my regret and apologise," he said.
The video at the centre of the controversy is CCTV footage from the BTM Layout neighbourhood. The viral clip showed a man following two women in an alley and groping one of them. He fled when the second woman tried to defend her.
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The police filed a case for assault and sexual harassment after the video went viral. The woman has not lodged any complaint.
Commenting on the incident, Mr Parameshwara, the minister in-charge of law and order in Karnataka, said yesterday he has been pressing the city police to improve patrolling.
"When some incidents happen here and there, of course, people's attention will be drawn towards them. The cops are working 24X7. Some incidents happen here and there. In such a big city, such incidents will happen. We will take necessary action according to the law," he had said.
The BJP condemned his remark as "insensitive" with a party spokesperson asking if he was normalising sexual assault and crimes against women. His remark was disgusting and demotivating, said former deputy chief minister Ashwath Narayan.
"People are losing confidence because of these statements. His statement shows how helpless he is as a home minister. He should make a responsible statement," he added.
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