Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah criticised BJP national president J P Nadda on Saturday for seeking to get political mileage from the Belagavi episode, in which a mother was displayed nude and assaulted after her son eloped with a girl from the same caste, news agency ANI reported. The Chief Minister added in a strongly worded statement that the BJP's tenure saw several incidents of violence against women, but Nadda has forgotten this in order to politically blame the Congress government.
He questioned BJP President J P Nadda what he would say about Ramdular Gond, an Uttar Pradesh BJP MLA, being convicted of raping a nine-year-old girl.
Speaking with media, Siddaramaiah stated: "JP Nadda and BJP are doing politics over this issue. Just open National Crime Bureau once you come to know how many cases happened in their tenure. Do you know the one who was jailed yesterday (in UP) is a BJP MLA? What did he do? He raped a 9-year-old girl. We will take strict action against culprits and they will be punished."
The Chief Minister's outburst was in response to the BJP sending a five-member central team, including four MPs, to visit and meet the survivor, as well as staging statewide demonstrations on Saturday against the December 11 incident in Vantamuri village in Belagavi district, in which the tribal woman was stripped, paraded naked, and tied to a pole after her son eloped with a girl from the same community.
Siddaramaiah revealed that as soon as the Belagavi case came to light, state Home Minister G Parameshwara and Minister of Women and Child Welfare Laxmi Hebbalkar visited the survivor's house to see them.
"Atrocity did happen to that woman. Whatever legal actions have to be taken has been taken by the government. Our home minister met the victim. Accused were arrested immediately," he stated.
Later, the Chief Minister released a statement alleging that the BJP leaders visited the victim-woman against the Karnataka High Court's limitations, "thus not only flouting the court's directive but also displaying their insensitivity," PTI reported.
“The Chief Justice of the High Court, while taking suo-motu cognisance of the incident, had suggested this morning that visits to the traumatised woman, who is severely distressed, should be restricted. This directive was notably given in the context of news about political leaders planning to visit the victimised woman. The Chief Justice’s suggestion in this situation is noteworthy,” Siddaramaiah added.
Given that the lady is undergoing medical treatment, visitors' interactions might influence her health and treatment, according to the Chief Minister, and the High Court agreed that it is necessary to limit visits to the woman for her well-being.
He highlighted that the High Court had ordered that no individual, organisation, organisation, political party, or others visit the lady without prior written authorization from the chief medical officer of the hospital responsible for her care.
“Despite this, the BJP leaders, in a move to use a tragic incident for political gain, have visited the woman in the name of ‘truth-seeking’. It shows their blatant disregard to the court’s orders and instructions. The insensitivity and lack of respect shown by BJP leaders and their national president J P Nadda, who is supporting this behaviour, must be condemned by everyone,” Siddaramaiah said.
In an incident that took place on December 10, a Dalit mother was pulled out of her home, stripped nude, chained to a pole, and thrashed by the family of a girl with whom her son had eloped.
According to police, the woman's son had been in a relationship with the girl for some time, and after the couple eloped, the girl's relatives raced to the boy's residence before beating the Dalit woman.
BJP Fact-Finding Team Member Says 'No One Willing To Come Out'
A five-member Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) fact-finding team came in Belagavi on Saturday to acquire first-hand information regarding the Belagavi women assault case.
Highlighting Gandhi family's silence over the incident, Fact-finding team member and BJP MP Aprajita Sarangi said: "It's extremely unfortunate that the entire Gandhi family is keeping mum on this accident. Neither Sonia Gandhi nor Priyanka Gandhi, being women have said anything. As far as Rahul Gandhi is concerned he is a veteran as far as diverting topics are concerned. We are talking of a victim woman who has been brutally assaulted and paraded naked. This is an extreme form of inhumanity. And even at this juncture, the entire, family of Gandhi chooses to keep mum."
After meeting with the Belagavi victim's family, Sarangi said: "There are two types of actions- preventive & punitive actions. Punitive actions always take place after the commencement of a crime. Now what is the punitive action that has been taken by the state government of Connecticut? 11 out of 13 people have been put behind bars."
Speaking about the compensation, she stated: "The announcement has been made that Rs 5 lakhs will be given as compensation to the family of the victim. The district legal services authority will give Rs 50, 000 to the family, but these are all announcements."
During the visit, the fact-finding team reported that no one was willing to make a statement and that everyone was terrified. "There was a tremendous sense of fear in the village we went to. Nobody was willing to come out into the open and talk to us. There is fear and there is a sense of apprehension," she stated.
"The only request that all these women and all the villagers made to us was, to please ensure that they do not come out of the prison. In case they come out the prison, the state government should give us the assurance, should stand by us and should give us the assurance that we are not harmed hereafter. Why did it happen at all? That's the question," she added.