Amid 'rape' shocker, here are other distasteful remarks by Congress' KR Ramesh Kumar

Former Karnataka Assembly Speaker and senior Congress leader KR Ramesh Kumar on Thursday passed a shocking comment on rape in the Assembly saying that "when rape is inevitable, lie down and enjoy it."

While his unsavoury comment has triggered massive outrage, this is not the first time that the Congress MLA has used such remarks against women. In fact, the former TV actor is a repeat offender when it comes to cracking unpleasant 'jokes'. 

Ramesh Kumar compares himself to 'rape victim'

As the speaker of the Karnataka Assembly in 2019, Kumar had compared himself to a rape survivor. The Congress leader's comment came after his name emerged in a controversial audio clip between BJP veteran BS Yediyurappa and other senior leaders that mentioned how he had allegedly taken a Rs 50 crore bribe from the party. When charges made against him in audiotapes released by then-Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy became the focal point of debate, Kumar said that his situation is like that of a rape victim. 

Making an insensitive joke of a rape survivor being raped again and again when cross-examined in the court of law, he had said, "I feel like a rape victim." Later when women legislators protested against the insensitive statement, Kumar tendered an apology.

Pulled up for using 'unparliamentary' language in Assembly

In September 2020, Ramesh Kumar had hurled a Kannada word that Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri had to immediately expunge from the Assembly. Growing impatient during Medical Education Minister K Sudhakar’s reply on the COVID-19 debate, he said, "He is justifying the variation in prices at which (PPE kits) were procured. He is saying they were first procured for about Rs 300 after which the cost went up and there were various committees. These committees had great people. Just because great people did xxxxx work, is that great work?"

His comment enraged the BJP leaders who asked him to tender an apology. RDPR Minister KS Eshwarappa remarked, "Is it okay if I say Ramesh Kumar is xxxxx? That’s a word used by rowdy elements. We beat our kids if they use that word at home." Ultimately, the Speaker intervened and ruled that the word was ‘unparliamentary’.

Congress MLA's rape comment

The distasteful comment by the Congress leader came when MLAs began to demand time from Speaker Vishweshwara Hegde Kageri to discuss farmers' issues in the Assembly. In response to the demand, Vishweshwara Hegde Kageri asked as to how he could run the Session if time was allotted to everyone.

Telling members to take the decision on their own, he looked at former speaker KR Ramesh Kumar and said, "I feel that let's enjoy the situation, I can't keep this under control and take it forward in a systematic way." Replying to the Speaker, the Congress leader stood up and said, "There is a saying, when rape is inevitable, lie down and enjoy it."