BENGALURU: BJP MLC Bharati Shetty on Wednesday stoked a controversy when she said that working women should not be allowed to work overtime late in the evening for their safety, as they could become targets of crimes.
Taking part in a debate on the Mysuru gang rape incident in the Council, Bharati Shetty observed that the victim was left to bear the brunt, more than her male friend. “The judiciary also lacks teeth to deal with the culprits strictly. Hence, a stringent new law, which allows for castration of criminals, is required,” she suggested.
She also defended Home Minister Araga Jnanendra who, in the immediate aftermath of the incident, had remarked that the girl should not have gone to a desolate place late in the evening. Reacting to Shetty’s suggestion, state vice president of the Janavadi Mahila Sangha, K S Vimala, said, “Whether it is overtime work or staying outdoors, restricting women is against their freedom. What will she or other women legislators do when they sit on dharna until midnight?”
Opposition leader S R Patil said Shetty’s remarks are not in the spirit of Mahatma Gandhi’s dream of a ‘Ram rajya’ where women’s safety is ensured at all times. Congress chief whip M Narayanaswamy termed the suggestion as impractical.