In a despicable instance of outraging a woman’s modesty, former Karnataka Chief Minister and senior leader the Congress party snatched at the dupatta of a woman, pulling it away from her body, in an attempt to intimidate her.
https://twitter.com/TimesNow/status/1089830958654607360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
At the event in Mysuru, the woman in the video was trying to register a complaint with former CM Siddaramaiah regarding the absence of his son Yathindra, an MLA of Varuna constituency. As the aggrieved lady took the name of his son Yathindra, senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah lost his temper. The woman complained that she was unable to reach Yathindra which angered Siddaramaiah. He reacted by getting aggressive and berating the woman suggesting that the complaint made it seem as if his son had committed a great crime.
Sidaaramaiah reportedly told the woman to shut up and mocked her for ‘speaking as if she is a top leader’. The woman has been identified as one Jameela.
https://twitter.com/NEWS9TWEETS/status/1089837482722582529?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Dinesh Gundu Rao, President of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee, attempted to justify Sidaaramaiah’s shameful behaviour by suggesting that the dupatta came along with the mic.
https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1089840858285846533?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Even Siddaramaiah’s son has gone on record to state that his father shouldn’t apologize for his conduct. He said that he shouldn’t have lost his cool but there’s no need for an apology. Yathindra went on to claim that the aggrieved lady belongs to Congress party and added that she was an ardent follower of former CM Siddaramaiah.
https://twitter.com/TimesNow/status/1089842059312164864?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Interestingly, Jameela, the woman seen in the clip, speaking to the media said that she was not aware regarding the frequent visits of MLA Yathindra to the constituency. I heard that he was visiting the constituency frequently, but I was not aware regarding his visits. No Congress worker informed me regarding his visit. I had to register a few complaints against some officials, but I was not unable to reach him,” said Jameela soon after the controversy erupted.
Congress members have been frequently accused of sexual misconduct in the past. In December last year, an FIR was filed against Rahul Gandhi’s close aide and son of senior Congress leader Margaret Alva, Nikhil Ala, for sexual harassment and was charged with stalking and sending obscene emails.
Earlier, an FIR was lodged against one Congress IT cell worker named Chirag Patnaik for sexually harassing a female colleague. Patnaik was arrested in July on the charges of 354A and 509 on accusations of breaching the woman’s personal space and indulging in immoral behaviour. He was later released on bail.
The charge sheet also described how Congress social media cell in-charge Divya Spandana had then refused to entertain the complainant’s grave allegations against Chirag Patnaik of frequent misbehaviour.
In October, another sexual harassment case came into light, in which NSUI chief Fairoz Khan had reportedly stepped down from his post following charges of sexual misconduct. NSUI is the student wing of the Indian National Congress. The Executive Editor of National Herald, the Congress mouthpiece, was accused of sexual harassment as well.
Considering the lack of action taken against those accused of sexual misconduct in the past, it appears extremely unlikely that any action will be taken against Siddaramaiah for his grave misconduct.