Karnataka Woman Minister on receiving end

BJP leader C. T. Ravi, arrested over his controversial remarks towards Karnataka Minister Lakshmi Hebbalkar, is brought to a hospital for medical check-up in Belagavi on December 20, 2024.
| Photo Credit: PTI

Irony died a thousand deaths when the BJP’s State president B.Y. Vijayendra said that men in his party were “not wearing bangles” to stay quiet in the face of “police high handedness” while responding to the arrest of MLC C.T. Ravi. The BJP legislator was arrested for allegedly using a derogatory and sexist word about Minister for Women and Child Development Laxmi Hebbalkar during the recently concluded session of the Legislature.

Karnataka has seen much wrangling between political leaders since Mr. Ravi allegedly used a slur in the Legislative Council hall against Ms. Hebbalkar on December 19. This incident occurred after the council was adjourned following a fracas over Union Minister Amit Shah’s remarks on B.R. Ambedkar. But, the members had stayed on and continued their loud arguments. With the House not in session at that point, there is no “official record” of the alleged slur used, but the video clip has been freely floating around on social media platforms.

Mr. Ravi initially claimed that he had said “frustrate” and the Minister misheard him. Ms. Hebbalkar, however, said that the word, besides being abusive, trivialised her hard work in building a political career. She insisted that it had been heard by many BJP members too, who had privately sympathised with her, but failed to take a moral position beyond party affiliation.

Mr. Ravi was booked under Sections 75 (sexual harassment) and 79 (word, gesture, or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and arrested soon after. He has alleged that he was harassed in police custody, at the behest of Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar. But he was released the following day after approaching the Karnataka High Court. Observing that the police prima facie failed to follow the procedure in arresting the MLC, the court directed the police to release him immediately.

Since the offences charged against him attract imprisonment of less than seven years, the police were obliged to issue a notice to him under Section 35 of the BNS for appearing for questioning before arresting him in a “tearing hurry”, the court said.

Following this, a triumphant Mr. Ravi made it a point to address more than one press conference, sporting a bandage on his head for injuries he allegedly sustained while he was being taken in a police van. Many angry BJP men, including Mr. Vijayendra, rallied behind Mr. Ravi unconditionally, giving rest to their faction feuds.

No doubt the Congress government did not cover itself in glory in handling the situation. For one, as the court pointed out, there were procedural lapses. An impression was created that the Home Minister lacked control over the situation as police acted swiftly. Questions have also been raised on the issue of jurisdiction, given that it occurred within the House and the role of the Chairperson in addressing the episode. While a CID inquiry by the State police is now under way, the Opposition has demanded a judicial probe claiming a “plot to kill” Mr. Ravi.

However, what has lost focus under a mountain of questions on procedure and whataboutery (“But aren’t men in all parties the same?” etc.) is the core issue of the alleged abuse of the lone woman Minister in Karnataka’s Cabinet and one among the only 10 elected women Members of the Legislative Assembly. Casual sexism, cutting across party barriers, is indeed not uncommon in the House or the course of poll campaigns, but that should not make it “normal” or acceptable. Mr. Ravi had in an earlier instance, talking about political opportunism, used the word “nitya sumangali” (a term used to refer to those in Devadasi tradition) and incurred the wrath of a few women members including Ms. Hebbalkar.

The incident raises two questions: Could such remarks have been made in a House with a better gender balance? And why do such incidents not amount to sexual harassment in the workplace?

Given the situation in Karnataka, where new political high dramas unfold daily, and are magnified by private news channels, all issues live intense but fleeting lives. Already, the Ms. Hebbalkar case is fading into the background, with the Opposition now busy mounting pressure on the ruling Congress for a Central Bureau of Investigation inquiry into the suicide of a contractor, allegedly owing to pressure to pay money by the close aide of a Minister. However, one can be sure it is a matter of time before a case similar to that of Ms. Hebbalkar turns up again, like a bad penny.