The Karnataka State Women’s Commission has registered a suo motu case against the former MLA and BJP leader Sanjay Patil for his remarks against Minister Lakshmi Hebbalkar.
In a BJP campaign meeting in Hindalga in Belagavi district on Saturday, Mr. Patil said that Ms. Hebbalkar is going to lose sleep over the huge rally organised by his party in her constituency and that “she will need an additional peg along with sleeping pills to go to bed”.
A notice has been issued to Mr. Patil seeking a reply and the reason why action should not be initiated against him.
Meanwhile, members of the District Congress women’s wing staged a protest on Saturday night against the BJP leader for his remark. They staged a protest in front of his house near Jail Shala in Vadgaon.
They raised slogans against Mr. Patil. They said that he has insulted the whole womanhood and not just any individual leader. They sought a public apology. “This is not the first time that Mr. Patil has insulted a woman. He has insulted Ms. Hebbalkar in the past also by calling her names and speaking about her character. He has to seek an unconditional public apology and stop indulging in such things in future,” said Ayesha Sanadi, who led the protest.
Ms. Hebbalkar said that it was routine for BJP leaders to go on insulting women. “The mentality of the BJP leaders is undoubtedly anti-women. They have no regard for gender equality. They want women to stay within the four walls of the house and not seek positions of power. Several senior BJP leaders, including former MP Mangala Angadi, were on the stage when Mr. Patil made the statement,” she said.
“They could have stopped him. Instead, they were laughing at his statement, showing that they agree with such demeaning statements. Mr. Patil has not only insulted me, but all women. Their alliance partner and Janata Dal(S) leader H.D. Kumaraswamy has also insulted women. I will give a call to all women in the State to join an agitation against such statements,” she said.
On Sunday, Mr. Patil clarified that when he spoke of a peg, he did not mean liquor, but an energy drink. “I did not name anyone. Why should Ms. Hebbalkar assume I was referring to her?” he asked.
“The Minister sent hundreds of women to my house to hold a protest during the night. My mother is 90 years old. She felt disturbed. I am a heart patient and I felt disturbed too. What is more, why is my remark being taken up as an insult to women? Why are the women candidates from Chikkodi or Uttara Kananda not speaking about it? Why is only Ms. Hebbalkar speaking about it? This is an election campaign and leaders should take such statements in their stride,” he said.
