A video has gone viral of Karnataka Minister V. Somanna slapping a woman on Sunday at an event to distribute land titles in Hangala village, Chamrajnagar district. Amidst the huge backlash, Chief minister Basavaraj Bommai has sought an explanation from the minister.
The woman, identified as Kempamma, confronted the BJP leader at the event after she did not receive a land title. In the video, the state minister of infrastructure development appears furious and slaps her.
Despite the assault, she immediately bends down and touches the minister's feet. A few men did intervene to lift her up, while none of the women security personnel seen in the video, did.
Kempamma further denies that Somanna slapped her. "I am from a very poor family. I fell on his feet and asked him to help me by allocating the land. He consoled me but they are misinterpreting that he had slapped me. He has given us the land. He also returned Rs 4,000 which we had paid. We have kept his photo along with other Gods and Goddesses. We worship him at home," she says.
The Congress party tweeted the video along with its reaction in Hindi, stating: "Karnataka's BJP government minister V Somanna slapped a woman. The woman's crime was that she went to the BJP minister with her complaint. Now read the statement of PM Modi - 'Can we take a pledge to get rid of everything that humiliates women by nature, by culture?"
The Congress also asked Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai whether he will dismiss infrastructure development minister V Somanna after the video of his slapping a woman went viral. “Where is our PM?” Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala asked.
Somanna was expected to reach the event at 3:30pm, but arrived at 6:30 pm.
A total of 175 land titles were distributed during the event. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh called for the minister's sacking in a tweet:
