A “joke” on rape, this time by a senior Congress leader, crept into the debate on rain damage in Karnataka on Thursday, shocking many.
When Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri expressed helplessness about not being able to curtail the long speeches of members, former Speaker Ramesh Kumar said, “There’s a saying... when rape is inevitable, lie down and enjoy it.”
He told Mr. Kageri, “That is the situation you are in too.” The comment was greeted by loud laughter by Mr. Kageri.
In the aftermath of the gang-rape of a student in Mysuru in August, Home Minister Araga Jnanendra had drawn flak for saying that Opposition was politicising the incident and “raping him.” While he said that it was no more than a “joke”, he later had apologised.
Back in 2019, as Speaker, Mr. Kumar had drawn the ire of women members by comparing himself to a rape survivor.
