Will BJP's Attitude Towards Women Ever Change?

Bengaluru, May 27 (NationPress) Karnataka's Minister for RDPR, IT and BT Priyank Kharge stated on Tuesday that despite repeated apologies from BJP leaders, their attitude towards women remains unchanged due to their adherence to Manusmriti.

The minister's comments were in reaction to BJP MLC N. Ravikumar's offensive remarks referring to Kalaburagi Deputy Commissioner Fouzia Taranum as a 'Pakistani'.

Kharge asserted, "Ravikumar embodies a Manusmriti mindset. The BJP's strategy aims to hinder women’s progress. Their training via the RSS promotes the notion of rejecting the Constitution in favor of Manusmriti. Can women truly thrive under such principles? For instance, in Madhya Pradesh, Minister Vijay Shah made disparaging remarks about Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, yet faced no consequences.

He highlighted that Madhya Pradesh's Deputy Chief Minister Jagdish Devda insulted Colonel Sofiya Qureshi and the military, but was not reprimanded either.

"This same ideology prevails in Karnataka, where Ravikumar and RSS leaders insist that women should remain out of the public sphere and confined to domestic roles," Kharge expressed.

He criticized Ravikumar further, clarifying that Fouzia Taranum is an officer of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), not a member of a so-called Pakistani Administrative Service.

Kharge pointed out that Taranum had recently been recognized by the President of India as one of the top-performing IAS officers.

"A woman from a minority background, who has risen from poverty to become a Deputy Commissioner and is effectively serving the public, is something the BJP cannot tolerate. Whether it’s the cases of Sofiya Qureshi, Fouzia Taranum, or Savitribai Phule, the Manuvadis have always resisted women’s advancement. Even with apologies, their mindset won’t shift," Kharge stated.

Ravikumar's comments have sparked significant controversy in Karnataka, causing embarrassment for the BJP.

The IAS Officers’ Association condemned the incident, while Ravikumar has since expressed remorse for his statements.

In response, BJP State President B.Y. Vijayendra claimed that the Congress-led government is targeting opposition parties, attempting to intimidate them through police actions.

"We protested in Kalaburagi against Minister Priyank Kharge. We voiced our concerns about the systemic failures in the Kalaburagi district and how the police have become instruments of political manipulation," he commented.

According to the FIR, Ravikumar allegedly questioned whether Deputy Commissioner Fouzia Taranum was truly Indian or Pakistani, asserting that her Muslim background undermines her loyalty to the Indian Constitution.

"MLC N. Ravikumar made certain comments and later apologized, but the Congress party lodged a police complaint via a third party leading to an FIR. Similar incidents occurred with BJP MLA Y. Bharath Shetty and another regional MLA Harish Poonja, who managed to obtain a court stay," Vijayendra noted.

He accused the Congress of unfairly targeting the opposition, describing such tactics as undemocratic.