Bengaluru, Jan 7 (NationPress) Women’s rights advocate Brinda Adige expressed her outrage on Wednesday regarding the reported assault and stripping of a BJP female worker by police in Hubballi, Karnataka, labeling the event as entirely unacceptable and atrocious.

She emphasized that the political affiliation of the woman is irrelevant; what truly matters is her status as a citizen of the nation who is entitled to constitutional protection.

In a conversation with IANS, Brinda Adige remarked, “This is absolutely unacceptable and atrocious. We are discussing law enforcement personnel who are trained to uphold the law, and they cannot assume the role of the law themselves.”

Adige further asserted, “To have citizens on a bus, disrobing a woman, manhandling her, and physically assaulting her is completely wrong. I have heard that she attempted to disrobe herself. Fine, but the police are trained to manage such circumstances. Why did the female officers not create a protective barrier around her? What were they doing? They merely stood by and watched. This indicates that even if they are trained, they are unprepared to defend women’s dignity. They panicked. What kind of training do they receive as police? Are they unaware of how to support a woman in distress? Excuses cannot justify this behavior.”

She highlighted that even ordinary citizens often demonstrate more responsibility in such instances.

“As members of society, we sometimes witness situations where a woman, potentially facing mental health challenges, may try to disrobe. In those cases, two or three individuals quickly intervene to protect her dignity. So, what were the police doing? What transpired here constitutes a violation of both human and women’s rights,” she stated.

Commenting on the police commissioner’s remarks about gathering information, she added, “Information can be gathered later. First, everyone present should be suspended, followed by an investigation. There can be no justification for treating a citizen in such a dreadful manner. The police must uphold and protect constitutional rights without making excuses.”

She further noted that law enforcement must adhere to protocols and guidelines regarding the treatment of individuals in custody.

“In this instance, the woman was in police custody. Additionally, common sense suffices; no special training is necessary for that. The state government must take action. The woman’s political affiliation is secondary; she is first and foremost a citizen of this country, and her constitutional rights must be safeguarded. I trust that the state government will act, and I am confident the Home Minister will acknowledge this issue,” Adige informed IANS.

Meanwhile, a video of the incident emerged on Wednesday, provoking shock and deep concern.

The video reportedly depicts male police officers assaulting the woman while using vulgar language.

The incident took place under the jurisdiction of the Keshvapur police station in Hubballi. Sources indicate that BJP worker Sujatha Handi, also known as Vijayalaxmi Handi, was allegedly assaulted following a complaint lodged against her by Hubballi-Dharwad Congress corporator Suvarna Kallakuntla.

Reports suggest that Sujatha Handi was targeted after she engaged in voter mapping as part of the voter list revision process. Allegedly incensed by this, the Congress corporator filed a complaint against her at the Keshvapur police station.

During the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voters' list, a conflict reportedly arose when Sujatha Handi accompanied election officials in the process. Congress corporators and their supporters allegedly created a disturbance by referring to a prior case during the revision.

Suvarna Kallakuntla, who lodged the complaint against Sujatha Handi, accused her of bringing SIR-BLO officials and getting voters’ names removed. Tensions had previously erupted between BJP and Congress members over the same claims.

It has been alleged that, in light of this issue, a complaint was filed against Sujatha Handi, leading police personnel to attempt her arrest. During this incident, the police are said to have acted violently towards her. In the video, a male officer is seen holding the shoulder of the BJP woman worker while she is reportedly unclothed.