By Prathima Nandakumar
Women and Child Development Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar dubbed the BJP leaders as "Dhritarashtra" (blind king) for choosing to remain mum in the Legislative Council last week.
"The entire BJP party is corrupt today. I saw how they turned into "Dhritarashtra" 'in the Legislative Council when their party member C.T. Ravi used derogatory language against me," said the minister in Belagavi on Monday, after learning that the legislator had filed an FIR against her.
Slamming the BJP leaders for rallying behind Ravi, Hebbalkar said, "The BJP leaders are wearing masks. None of them dared to condemn Ravi. Instead, they are now taking out processions to glorify him."
Furious over senior BJP leaders like Prahlad Joshi claiming that the police had attempted to kill Ravi in an "encounter", Hebbalkar asked, "What encounter? The BJP should be ashamed of exaggerating things. Instead of addressing the real issue, they are playing politics. Today, injustice has been done to a women and child development minister and when the entire state is criticising the BJP, they want to divert the attention of people with an FIR. 'Ulta chor kotwal ko daante' (Thief is blaming the cop). The BJP claims the MLC was taken around in the night. But what was the main issue here and why was an FIR filed against him? The BJP is taking people in circles now," said Hebbalkar.
The minister demanded to know how BJP was aggrieved when the derogatory word was used against her and she was suffering all this while. "Just because I stayed indoors for two days, you people decided to give media interviews, take out victory processions in honour of the accused. Aren't you all ashamed of yourselves? Don't you have women members in your family? Don't you have a conscience? You people rush to the temples and stand before the deity always. Remember, there is a greater court, that of God. 'Uski lathi main awaaz nahi hoti hai' (when he (God) weilds his stick, there will be no sound). I will petition the Prime Minister and President of India."
When a reporter asked Hebbalkar's feelings as a mother, she shot back saying she was a woman first. "First of all I am a woman who has been aggrieved. It is an assault on my self-respect. I hail from the land of (Kittur) queen Chennamma. I will not remain mum as it is not only a question of my respect but of all the women of this country. Often women are targeted in politics. They try to break our confidence and intimidate us. But it is only a delusion to think they can hurt us and confine us inside our home. Beti padhao, beti bachao is only a slogan for the BJP," charged Hebbalkar, who asserted that Ravi had used the objectionable word against her and it had caused her immense pain.
"I am ready to face 100 CT Ravis. I have every evidence against him. I have the video clipping which I will release to the media today," said the Belagavi rural MLA, who accused Ravi of bluffing about his head injury.
"Why has he rolled a big bandage around his forehead? He thinks he can hoodwink people by doing all this," she mocked.
