The Leader of Opposition in Karnataka Legislative Council, BJP's KS Eshwarappa, reportedly made a shocking remark on Saturday, asking a woman journalist what could his party do if she was raped by someone.
"You are here, if someone takes you, rapes you then what can opposition do," Eshwarappa asked the journalist, according to ANI.
The former Karnataka minister made the controversial remark in response to the journalist's question whether the BJP had failed to play its role as an opposition party. The question came during the funeral of Doddaballapur sub-inspector S Jagadish, who was killed while chasing some goons on the outskirts of Bengaluru on Friday, according to reports.
However, later, the veteran politician said that the controversy surrounding his earlier statement was "an attempt to create confusion". He said that all the women of Karnataka are his sisters and that the opposition is doing everything possible to protect them.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah slammed the BJP leader, saying that Eshwarappa has never made a sensible statement.
"When has KS Eshwarappa ever made a sensible statement, that you expect him to do so now," asked Siddaramaiah.
The bizarre statement by the BJP leader comes about a week after Karnataka Home Minister KJ George had made a controversial remark on rape. He had said that two men raping a woman is not gangrape.
"How is it a gangrape if two people rape? Shouldn't there be at least three or four people for it to be called gang rape," he had asked.
