Will choose my words carefully henceforth: Karnataka MLA K R Ramesh Kumar apologises for his 'enjoy rape' comment

(Credits: PTI)

New Delhi: Senior Congress MLA and former Karnataka Assembly Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar, who had courted controversy by saying "enjoy rape when it is inevitable" inside the Karnataka Assembly, on Friday (December 17, 2021) apologised for his 'off the cuff remark'.

“If it hurts the sentiments of women, I've no problem apologising. I apologize from the bottom of my heart,” said KR Ramesh Kumar in Karnataka Assembly on his 'rape' remark made in the House yesterday.

If it hurts the sentiments of women, I've no problem apologising. I apologize from the bottom of my heart: Congress MLA KR Ramesh Kumar in Karnataka Assembly on his 'rape' remark made in the House yesterday.

"He has apologized, let's not drag it further," says Speaker VH Kageri. pic.twitter.com/7u3HeaSbLr — ANI (@ANI) December 17, 2021

"He has apologized, let's not drag it further," says Speaker VH Kageri.

Additionally, Ramesh Kumar also took it to his Twitter handle to apologise for his remarks. "I would like to express my sincere apologies to everyone for the indifferent and negligent comment I made in today's assembly about 'Rape!' My intention was not trivialise or make light of the heinous crime, but an off the cuff remark! I will choose my words carefully henceforth!" Ramesh Kumar tweeted.

I would like to express my sincere apologies to everyone for the indifferent and negligent comment I made in today’s assembly about “Rape!” My intention was not trivialise or make light of the heinous crime, but an off the cuff remark! I will choose my words carefully henceforth! — K. R. Ramesh Kumar (@KRRameshKumar1) December 16, 2021

The Senior Congress MLA had made the remark during the discussions on rain and flood related damages in the Karnataka assembly on Thursday. State speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri found himself in a fix as he wanted to wind up the discussion at the earliest whereas the MLAs were insisting to extend the time.

"I am in a situation where I have to enjoy and say 'yes, yes.' That's it. This is what I feel. I should give up controlling the situation and take the proceedings in a systematic manner, I should tell everyone to continue your talks," Kageri said laughing.

Ramesh Kumar intervened and said, "See, there is a saying- when rape is inevitable, lie down and enjoy it. That's exactly the position in which you are."

#WATCH| "...There's a saying: When rape is inevitable, lie down&enjoy," ex Karnataka Assembly Speaker & Congress MLA Ramesh Kumar said when Speaker Kageri, in response to MLAs request for extending question hour, said he couldn't& legislators should 'enjoy the situation' (16.12) pic.twitter.com/hD1kRlUk0T — ANI (@ANI) December 17, 2021

The former minister came under fire from various quarters including the MLAs from his own party for his statement.

The Congress party's Khanapur MLA Anjali Nimbalkar took a strong view of it.

Anjali Nimbalkar tweeted, "The House shall apologise to entire womanhood, every mother, sister & daughter of this nation for such an obnoxious & shameless behaviour."

Another Congress MLA Sowmya Reddy too denounced the statement in her tweet: "This is just NOT ok. There needs to be an apology."

The chairperson of the National Commission for Women Rekha Sharma flayed the statement in her tweet.

Rekha Sharma said, "It is extremely sad and unfortunate that we still have public representative who are misogynists and have horrible mindset towards women. It's really disgusting. If they sit in assemblies and speak like this how they must be behaving with women in their lives?"

Meanwhile, a Delhi based NGO on Friday filed a complaint against KR Ramesh, Congress MLA in Karnataka Assembly, on his "rape" remark with the Governor of Karnataka to take legal action and disqualify him as MLA.

The complaint requested Karnataka Governor to take strict legal action against Ramesh and further disqualify him as a member of the Karnataka Assembly for his insensitive and offensive remark against women which is against the Constitution as his comment hampers the right to live with the dignity of women, stated the complaint.

(With agency inputs)