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Karnataka home minister’s statements latest in list of controversies
In August last year, a day after the gang-rape of a college student near Chamundi foothills shocked Mysuru, home minister Jnanendra caused outrage by ‘joking’ about the incident.
Hours after Karnataka home minister Araga Jnanendra issued that a 22-year-old man was killed because he didn’t speak Urdu, the government faced embarrassment as Bengaluru police had to issue a fact-check rebutting the home minister’s statement broadcasted on the TV channels. Jnanendra, however, is not unfamiliar with controversies.
In August last year, a day after the gang-rape of a college student near Chamundi foothills shocked Mysuru, Jnanendra caused outrage by ‘joking’ about the incident. Accusing Congress of ‘politicising’ the incident, the minister said in Bengaluru on August 26, “Rape has occurred there. But Congress is trying to rape the Home Minister here.”
When asked to explain his statement, he told the media that he meant it as a ‘joke’, and did not intend to hurt anyone.
On the same day, he had made another controversial statement where he blamed the victim of the gang rape for visiting an isolated area. Responding to a query from reporters, he had said, “They [victims] went to a desolate spot, at 7.30 pm. They shouldn’t have gone there at that time. But we cannot stop anyone from going anywhere...”
“Not just him but his entire party should answer for such irresponsible statements,” said KPCC president DK Shivakumar said in a statement.
In April this year, the home minister had said Al-Qaeda was among the ‘unseen hands’ behind the hijab row in the state.
In light of the video statement released by Al-Qaeda chief Ayman Al Zawahiri on the hijab controversy, Jnanendra said: “We have been saying this from the beginning, and the High Court too during the hijab verdict had suggested the possibility of some unseen hands behind the hijab row...now it is proved, because Al-Qaeda people are now releasing videos,” he said.
Senior police officers, who submitted a report to the Karnataka high court on the organisations involved in organised protests during the hijab, said no such connections with any international organisations were found during the police probe.
As news of a cabinet reshuffle is underway in the state, reacting to the latest controversy, chief minister Basavaraj Bommai said he will look into the statement made by the home minister. “I won’t comment without knowing the case details, I will get the case details...based on which I will see what he has said and will comment after that,” he said.
