By PTI
NEW DELHI: NCP leader Supriya Sule on Wednesday termed as “shameful” a Karnataka BJP MLA’s remarks that rape cases are increasing as some dresses worn by women ‘excite’ men, as she accused the saffron party of moral and thought “policing”.
Raising the issue while participating in the debate on the general budget 2022-23, Sule said the remarks by M P Renukacharya need to be condemned by the House.
Amid the ongoing hijab row, the BJP MLA claimed that rape cases are increasing as some dresses worn by women ‘excite’ men, as he tried to make his case for girl students in colleges to either wear uniform or dress that fully cover their body.
Later realising that his remarks would stir controversy, the political secretary to the chief minister said that he would apologise to women, if his statement has hurt them.
Raising the issue, Sule said Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is a very dignified lady and they both both have daughters that they are proud of.
“There is a gentleman. Can’t call him gentleman. An MLA of BJP from Karnataka has said rapes are increasing because of women’s clothing. If hijab is worn, BJP has a problem, if one wears other clothes, they have a problem. They will do moral policing as well as thought policing,” the Nationalist Congress Party leader said.
“Because the minister is elected from Karnataka, I would ask her for justice. I hope she would intervene. Whoever that MLA is. This must be condemned, everyone has a wife and children in their houses. We should not tolerate this and unanimously the House must condemn it,” she said.
“If any man says women get raped because of their clothes, it is shameful, it is condemnable,” Sule said.
Complimenting the finance minister on the saree she wore while presenting the budget, Sule said “we don’t judge each other on clothing”.
Meanwhile, amid the ongoing row over wearing hijab by some students in Karnataka, Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij on Wednesday said there is no objection to the headscarf, but the prevailing dress code in schools and colleges must be followed.
“If anyone wants to wear a hijab, we have no objection to it, but if they want to go to school and college (wearing hijab) then they will have to follow the dress code prevalent in those institutions,” Vij, a senior leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party, said.
“And if one does not follow that (the dress code) then they can stay back home, no problem,” he added.
Protests for and against the hijab had intensified in parts of Karnataka and even turned violent at some places on Tuesday after the state government last week issued an order making uniforms prescribed by it or management of private institutions mandatory for its students in schools and pre-university colleges.
