NCW chief wants Parameshwara to quit over molestation remark

Panel to send team if reply by authorities is unsatisfactory

Taking strong exception to Home Minister G Parameshwara’s remark that youngsters’ “western ways” were responsible for the mass molestation in Bengaluru on New Year’s Eve, NCW chief Lalitha Kumaramangalam on Monday sought his resignation.

The National Commission for Women (NCW) chairperson also demanded that the minister apologise to the women of the country for the remark. “Such remarks from the home minister are unacceptable and regrettable. 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?”

Reacting to police claims that there were no official complaints of molestation, the NCW chief said pictorial information was enough for them to take action. “There is enough proof in terms of pictorial information. They can take action regardless of whether an FIR was lodged or not.”

“If there were 1,500 policemen and still they could not prevent such incidents, well then it’s a very sorry state of affairs and police do not deserve to be the police if they can’t protect women,” she said.

Lalitha said the Commission had taken suo motu cognisance of the incident and had written to the DGP, city police commissioner and Home Minister, seeking a reply on what action had been taken. “We have decided that if the reply is unsatisfactory, we will send a team to find out why the police have not taken suo motu cognisance of what happened,” she said.

Nagalakshmi Bai, chairperson of the Karnataka Commission for Women, said, “I have taken cognisance of the reported incident. I have sought a report from police. After getting the report, I will take further action.”