DCW's Swati Maliwal demands FIR against Congress MLA over outrageous rape remark

Slamming senior Congress leader Ramesh Kumar over his insensitive rape remark in the Karnataka assembly, Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chairperson Swati Maliwal demanded his arrest and further said that his VIP security should be snatched away. Anguished on the statement made by Kumar on Thursday, Maliwal in a video can be seen shaming the Congress leader for saying that it should be enjoyed when someone is being raped. 

Later, tweeting in Hindi, she said, "A person with such a lousy and rapist thinking has no right to sit in the Legislative Assembly. I appeal to the Karnataka government to arrest this man by registering an FIR, sack him from the Legislative Assembly & snatch his VIP security!"

The DCW chief also remarked on the MLA's apology and said, "Mere apology is not enough. This man thinks like a rapist and should be behind bars. He has no business of being in the Vidhan Sabha. I hope Karnataka Government will take strict action!"

Similarly, National Commission for Women (NCW) chief Rekha Sharma also out the 'misogynistic mindset' of MLA Ramesh Kumar and raised questions on how treats women. Taking to Twitter, she wrote, "It is extremely sad and unfortunate that we still have public representatives who are misogynists and have a horrible mindset towards women."

Congress leader apologises for "rape remark" in Assembly

Earlier in the day, the former Karnataka speaker and senior Congress MLA Ramesh Kumar apologised for his outrageous statement and justified that it as an "off-the-cuff remark." Admitting his comment as "indifferent and negligent", he took to Twitter and wrote, "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 to trivialise or make light of the heinous crime, but an off the cuff remark! I will choose my words carefully henceforth!"

Earlier on Thursday, a video that has now gone viral shows Kumar remarking that as rape is inevitable, one must lie down and enjoy. His comments came in response to Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri's statement who was in fix due to running short on time in the Assembly. 

Image: PTI/ANI