The remarks of former Chief Minister and JD(S) president H.D. Kumaraswamy that “rural women have lost their way” due to guarantee schemes, came under flak from KPCC women’s wing president Pushpa Amaranth who said that it was an affront to the dignity of women folk in general.
Mr. Kumaraswamy’s remarks has already triggered a row and the State Commission for Women has already issued a notice to him.
Addressing a press conference here on Monday, Ms. Amarnath said Mr. Kumaraswamy has insulted women’s community and the remarks only betrayed the “anti-women mindset” of the JD(S)-BJP leaders.
She said it had become a habit for the two parties to speak of women lightly and amounted to heaping indignities on the women community who constituted 50 per cent of the population. “In the last elections Mr. Kumaraswamy had spoken lightly of Sumalatha Ambareesh,” said Mr.Amarnath.
She said the guarantee schemes have made them independent and self-reliant and the free bus rides through Shakti has enabled them to be mobile. More than 4 lakh women are making use of the scheme every day, and it has reduced the burden of women who were toiling to earn a living, she added.
Ms. Amarnath made a veiled reference to Mr. Kumaraswamy aligning with the BJP and said the JD(S) president has been influenced by the teachings of manusmriti.
Though Mr. Kumaraswamy has clarified that what he meant was that innocent women are being misled, the remarks are unacceptable. Mr. Amarnath said the Congress would organise protests at all hoblis and taluks in the district against Mr. Kumaraswamy.
She also lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and accused him of uttering lies. “For how many years will he seek vote in the name of Lord Ram and exploit religion for political gains,” questioned Ms. Amarnath.
The KPCC women’s chief said Mr. Modi did not offer anything to the poor and the economically weaker section and hence has lost the moral right to seek their votes. Former mayor Modamani and other women leaders of Congress from Mysuru were present.
