Udupi college washroom video: Karnataka Home Minister Parameshwara says ‘small incident blown out of proportion’

Basavaraj Bommai slammed the home minister for 'taking it lightly'

Even as the Opposition BJP is mounting pressure to act sternly in the ‘Udupi washroom case’ involving college girls, Home Minister G Parameshwara on Wednesday said that the case is “a small issue” which the BJP “is blowing out of proportion.”

“It is not a ‘serious issue’. It has happened within the college premises and between friends. Why the BJP is trying to add political colour to this incident by blowing it out of proportion,” Parameshwara said.

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He said that all colleges are bound by the University Grant Commission (UGC) rules which mandates a committee to look into such cases.

“As of now, there is ‘no criminal intent’ behind this,” he said indicating that the police action is not warranted as of now.

The Home minister pointed out that the police can take up the case only if there is any criminal intent behind it. As of now, there is no such thing. “There is no complaint registered and how can the police act on this?,” he questioned angrily.

“The BJP, which is now jobless, is more interested in spreading hate than discussing serious issues such as drought or floods that are really affecting a large section of people in the state. But they are more interested in taking such minor issues and blowing them out of proportion,” he said.

While picking holes in the Udupi case, BJP leader Basavaraj Bommai demanded the Home minister to explain why the students have given their apology letter to the college? “Is this not a confession to their crime? The Home minister should explain this,” he said and added that how can this be fake news, when the college has suspended the trio involved in the case?

Bommai’s response

Demanding that the police act impartially, Bommai alleged that the police under the Congress rule is succumbing before the ‘powerful’ and harassing the messenger (Rashmi Sawant) who tweeted about this case and became public.

He argued that if the Congress continues to take an adamant stand in this case, then it will give an impression that police are meant to protect the powerful and poor victims will be left in the lurch.