Indian minister blames 'western dress' for mass molestation on NYE

[Devil Soul]

Indian minister blames 'western dress' for mass molestation on NYE
By AFP
Published: January 3, 2017
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An Indian man helps a woman (C) leave as police personnel try to manage crowds during New Year's Eve celebrations in Bangalore on January 1, 2017. PHOTO: AFP

BANGALORE: An Indian minister faced a severe backlash Tuesday after he criticised women for dressing “like westerners” at a New Year’s eve celebration where a mob allegedly carried out a series of sex assaults.

Although police have yet to charge anyone in connection with the violence on Saturday night in Bangalore, local media have carried testimony and photos of victims cowering from their attackers or fleeing for safety.

Aspiring Islamabad teacher ‘gang raped’ on New Year’s Eve

Police say they are now trawling through CCTV footage to see if they can identify any of the attackers. But a minister with responsiblity for policing in the southern state of Karnataka, whose largest city is Bangalore, said the “unfortunate” attacks were a consequence of women wearing western clothing.

“A large number of youngsters gathered — youngsters who are almost like westerners,” Karnataka’s Home Minister G Parameshwara told The Times Now television network, speaking in English.

“They try to copy westerners not only in mindset, but even the dressing, so some disturbance, some girls are harassed, these kind of things do happen.”

Parameshwara, who later claimed to have been misquoted, was widely condemned for his televised comments, with the central government’s junior home minister Kiren Rijiju describing them as “irresponsible”.

“We can’t allow the shameful act of #MassMolestation go unpunished,” he said on Twitter, adding that women’s safety is a “must in a civilised society”.

Lalitha Kumaramangalam, who heads India’s National Commission for Women, said Parameshwara should resign over his comments.

“I want to ask this minister: are Indian men so pathetic and weak that when they see a woman in western clothes on a day of revelry, they get out of control?

“When will the Indian men learn to respect women? The minister should apologise to the women of the country and resign,” Kumaramangalam told the Press Trust of India news agency.

India has been shamed by shocking levels of sexual assault against women, which came into sharp focus in December 2012 when a student was gang-raped on a bus in New Delhi and later died of her injuries, leading to the official cancellation of that year’s New Year celebrations.

Some of the country’s most senior politicians have been accused of casual misogyny, with the leader of one political party widely condemned for brushing off the December 2012 attack by saying “boys will be boys”.

Six-year-old boy dies in celebratory fire on New Year’s Eve

The attacks in Bangalore have drawn comparison with last year’s mass sexual assaults at New Year’s celebrations in the German city of Cologne, where police were also accused of losing control.

Senior Bangalore police officer Malini Krishnamoorthy told AFP no complaint had yet been filed and officers were scanning hours’ worth of CCTV footage. “We have appealed to the public to come forward if they have evidence in any form,” the officer added.

 

[Purzay]

Thread on same topic I posted twice but not approved by admins

Indians should invest and educate their male population with moral values and respect of women.

 

[艹艹艹]

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-38494433
India outrage after minister blames 'Western dress' for groping

• 27 minutes ago
• From the sectionIndia

Image copyrightBANGALORE MIRROR
Image captionA weeping woman seeks help from a policewoman in Bangalore
An Indian minister who said groping at New Year celebrations in Bangalore was caused by women dressing "like Westerners" has caused outrage.

Reports have emerged on local and social media of women being molested during festivities on Saturday night.

A Bangalore newspaper published photos of women crying and complaining that they had been groped by crowds of men.

Police say they have received no complaints but are scanning security footage for evidence of molestation.

As local media published images of distraught women seeking police help, Karnataka State Home Minister G Parameshwara blamed young people for "copying the Westerners, not only in their mindset, but even in their dressing".

"These kind of things do happen," he said.

The minister's comments have caused anger. National Commission for Women chief Lalitha Kumaramangalam said he should apologise to the women of the country and resign.

The federal government's junior home minister, Kiren Rijiju, described the minister's remarks as "irresponsible".

"We can't allow the shameful act of #MassMolestation go unpunished," he said on Twitter, adding that women's safety was a "must in a civilised society".

Image copyrightBANGALORE MIRROR
Image captionReports said 1,500 policemen and women were deployed in the area, but they were outnumbered by the revellers
Saturday night's events took place in the central business district. Crowds of around 10,000-12,000 gathered in the Mahatma Gandhi Road and Brigade Road area to celebrate the new year, BBC Hindi's Imran Qureshi reports from Bangalore.

Reports said 1,500 policemen and women were deployed.

"The crowds were three times more than what we have seen normally in this area," Anantha Subramanyam, Bangalore Mirror photographer, told BBC Hindi.

His pictures have raised questions about the city's men and their behaviour.

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"From about 2345 to 0030, people just could not move in the area. The police would clear the crowd near the junction of the two roads and they would again collect there," he said.

"When there was a slight let up in the crowd and when people could reach the police, I saw women complaining to the policewomen that they were molested. The police asked them to identify the men, but they couldn't. It was a mob frenzy.

"I could see a girl surrounded by several men and crying," he added.

Women in India are often reluctant to report sexual assault because of fear of reprisal or social stigma, but since Saturday night several women have come forward to talk about their ordeal.

Image copyrightBANGALORE MIRROR
Image captionPolice have appealed to the public to send in images of incidents
Chaitali Wasnick, a photographer, posted on Facebook that a man tried to grope her as she was returning from work.

"With so much ease he did [it], as if he thought I'll not utter a word," she said, adding that the police did not intervene, even as she fought off the man.

One woman who was in the area that night was Eashita (not her full name). She confirmed that "a couple of women were touched when a group of 20-30 men suddenly started running on the road".

"I was there with my parents and brother and we were in a group of 12-15 so we were protected," she said, adding that there were lots of policemen there who "escorted us to the nearby Metro station and ensured that we were not harassed".

Bangalore Police Commissioner Praveen Sood told BBC Hindi that security camera footage from the area was being analysed.

"We continue to search for evidence of molestation in the footage and pictures. The minute we get evidence we will not waste a single minute in initiating criminal action," he said.

Mr Sood has also appealed to journalists and members of the public for footage or photographs of any incidents.

"We will go to the victims and get their complaints," he added.

 

[neem456]

What good can you expect from abu azami and SP party ?
He is also against givig muslim women rights to pray in haji ali dargah, or their rights in muslim marriage codes.

 

[Blue Marlin]

We all know which religion is raping/molesting women in UK/Germany/France now in Bangalore....

im sure there all/most still indian, they dont get any action at home so they take it out on anyone with the opposite gender.

 

[Chinese-Dragon]

She confirmed that "a couple of women were touched when a group of 20-30 men suddenly started running on the road".

Large crowds of 20-30 men running after a single woman in order to molest her on the open streets? How in the heck does that even happen?

I've traveled all over the world, I've never seen anything like that.

 

[padamchen]

Large crowds of 20-30 men running after a single woman in order to molest her on the open streets? How in the heck does that even happen?

I've traveled all over the world, I've never seen anything like that.

Its probably a lot more than 20-30. Bangalore is going to the pits, sorry to say. I've been seeing it change over the past 10 years. There is a bad vibe there for non kannadigas. And moral police all around.

 

[Purzay]

We all know which religion is raping/molesting women in UK/Germany/France now in Bangalore....

Pagans and Hinduism.

 

[third eye]

What a clot !

Going by his skewed logic , women in Sarees must be the safest !!

He is getting it on the social media.

 

[Kashmiri Pandit]

After similar incident in Germany last year , I was wondering when 3rd class category of Indians were planning to Copy/attempt them .

Anyway , Men and Women are going down the drain , so does the society .
Boys and Girls having multiple relations . More importance given to drugs , sex , alcohol and Money .

What are we accepting from this crop of class less Humans . Yesterday I saw several Boys out at Night smoking and making vulgar comments . A couple ( High School kids ) passing by and talked about stuff that made we blush



Age of Nobles is over , ah !

 

[Politico]

Thread on same topic I posted twice but not approved by admins

Indians should invest and educate their male population with moral values and respect of women.

maybe cover the women and ban them from being in public or from driving will help ? seeing that you claim to be from iran, you really shouldnt comment considering the women rights issue in your country of origin

on topic..does india deliberately appoint ministers to embarrass the nation with stupid comments?

 

[faithfulguy]

This minister is part of problem for disrespect of woman. Instead of going after the criminals, he goes after the victims.

 

[Purzay]

maybe cover the women and ban them from being in public or from driving will help ? seeing that you claim to be from iran, you really shouldnt comment considering the women rights issue in your country of origin

on topic..does india deliberately appoint ministers to embarrass the nation with stupid comments?

There are no rapes and molestation cases in my country not in Iran not in UAE since both countries are dominated Muslims and implement strict laws for women protection further on above my Muslim brothers are not that fetish like Indians who can't hold their horses at the first sight of women.

 

[INDIAPOSITIVE]

Women ‘straying away’ from Indian culture reason for Bengaluru mass molestation, says Abu Azmi


Women ‘straying away’ from Indian culture reason for Bengaluru mass molestation, says Abu Azmi
Thousands of revelers assembled at Bengaluru's MG Road for the new year celebrations.
By: Express Web Desk | New Delhi | Updated: January 3, 2017 6:36 pm

Samajwadi Party leader Abu Azmi. Express photo by Vishal Srivastav
Samajwadi Party Mumbai unit chief Abu Azmi courted controversy on Tuesday as he suggested that the reason behind ‘mass molestation’ of women in Bengaluru during new year’s eve celebrations was because of them ‘straying away’ from Indian culture.

“In these modern times, the more women are naked, the more fashionable, modern and educated they are considered. And this is increasing in the country. This is a blot on our culture,” NDTV quoted him as saying.

WATCH VIDEO | Bengaluru Mass Molestation: Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Azmi Says Women Should Not Step Out At Night

Thousands of revelers assembled at Bengaluru’s MG Road for new year celebrations. Taking advantage of this, miscreants groped and molested women as they ran for their safety. Around 1,500 policemen and women were also posted to ensure robust security arrangements but the crowd that grew in several thousands became hard to control for the police.

Speaking to news agency ANI later, Azmi said, “In this modern age, the lesser clothes a woman is wearing, more modern she is considered. If my sister or daughter is roaming around on December 31 with random men who aren’t their husband or brother, I don’t think that’s right.”

Further admitting that he was expecting to receive flak for the comments he said, “If there’s petrol near fire, it will burn. If there is sugar, ants will come. A lot of people will be angry with me for saying this, but that’s alright because this is the truth.”




http://indianexpress.com/article/in...-bengaluru-mass-molestation-abu-azmi-4456974/

 

[Gibbs]

maybe cover the women and ban them from being in public or from driving will help ? seeing that you claim to be from iran, you really shouldnt comment considering the women rights issue in your country of origin

on topic..does india deliberately appoint ministers to embarrass the nation with stupid comments?

Highlydoubtful he/She is Iranian