"Pregnancy An Excuse": Karnataka MLA's Remark On Woman Forest Officer Sparks Row

An MLA of the ruling Congress party in Karnataka has triggered a massive row over his comments on a woman officer of the forest department. A video of the MLA making sexist comments against the woman officer has also surfaced.

Shivaganga Basavaraj, the Congress MLA from Channagiri, questioned the forest range officer, Shweta, for not attending a work meeting - and then gave a lecture on maternity leave.

The meeting over which the Congress MLA lost his cool was linked to a quarterly review of the Karnataka Development Programme (KDP).

When he came to know the forest range officer wouldn't come, he asked in public, "If she is pregnant, she should take a leave. Why does she need to work? She wants to make money, but also when called for meetings she wants to take leave. Is there no shame?"

"There are maternity leaves, right? Till the last date she wants salary and the extras, but can't come to the meeting as soon as you ask for some work. Pregnancy is an excuse, one should feel ashamed. Every time it's the same excuse. 'I'm pregnant, I'm going to the doctor'," Basavaraj said at the meeting.

"Immediate action should be taken against her," the MLA, flanked by other officials, said.

Women rights activists shared the visuals and criticised the MLA for twisting a complex and nuanced matter into a sexist punchline.

Basavaraj has not commented on the controversy yet. The matter is likely to escalate with the Opposition BJP looking to corner the Siddaramaiah government over issues linked to women.

Only recently, Karnataka announced one day paid menstrual leave in a month for those working in the government and private sector.