"All Of Us Men...": Karnataka Congress Chief's Apology Over Rape Comment

Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar this afternoon admitted there's "inherent regressive attitudes towards women" among men in politics after his party colleague KR Ramesh Kumar's "enjoy rape if inevitable" remark received countrywide backlash.

"The Congress party condemns the words spoken by one of our own legislators in the Karnataka assembly. The insensitive remarks against women are contrary to the values of gender equality the Congress party champions," DK Shivakumar tweeted this afternoon.

In another tweet, the 59-year-old leader wrote, "While we note that the legislator has tendered an apology, the incident in the assembly is a sign that all of us men in politics need to do better to shed our inherent regressive attitudes towards women."

Mr Kumar's offensive comments were made on Thursday in the state assembly amid a discussion on farmers' issues.

"Whatever you decide - I will say yes. What I am thinking is that let us enjoy the situation. I can't control or regulate the system. My concern is about the business of the house, it has also to be covered," Karnataka Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri said while sharing a dilemma.

That's when the Congress MLA responded: "There is a saying that when rape is inevitable, lie down and enjoy it. That is exactly the position which you are in." Shockingly, there was laughter in the state assembly in response.

A video shows the Speaker laughing in response.

Hours later as his comment triggered an outage, he apologized on Twitter: "I would like to express my sincere apologies to everyone for the indifferent and negligent comment I made in today's assembly about "Rape!" My intention was not trivialise or make light of the heinous crime, but an off-the-cuff remark! I will choose my words carefully henceforth!"

The "off-the-cuff" remark, however, raised eyebrows if the apology was indeed sincere.

Today, a video tweeted by news agency ANI showed him outside the state assembly being stopped for a comment on the remark. Unfazed, he refused to give a reaction.

Inside the assembly, he seemed to do the damage repair: "If it (my comment) hurts the sentiments of women, I've no problem apologising. I apologise from the bottom of my heart."

And the Speaker, who was laughing on his comment on Thursday, backed him, "He has apologized, let's not drag it further."

From the BJP to the Samajwadi Party, criticism has come in from all quarters.

Meanwhile, Congress is trying to firefight the situation.

Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala this afternoon tweeted, "Congress Party disapproves the exchange of highly objectionable & insensitive banter between Karnataka Assembly Speaker & Sr. Congress MLA in the House. (sic)"