Karnataka Congress leader eats his words, apologises for 'prostitute' remark

Bengaluru: In a new low, senior Karnataka Congress leader and leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council BK Hariprasad compared turncoat MLAs to prostitutes. He made this remark at a fiery speech in Hosapete on Tuesday and the very next day he had to eat his words.

After an uproar, he apologised to the sex workers' community on Wednesday for his 'prostitute' remark and said his statements were “misconstrued”.

Mr Hariprasad made the remarks while referring to the Congress MLAs who joined the BJP resulting in the fall of the JD(S)-Congress regime.

“When you did not give a clear mandate, we formed a coalition Government. We call by different names a woman who sells her body for food, we call her a prostitute. I leave it to you what you will call MLAs who sold themselves. Teach a lesson to local MLA in polls,” Mr Hariprasad had said during a public meeting in Hosapete.

Subsequently, the Congress leader tweeted in Kannada saying: “There is great respect for women and the sex worker community who live with self-respect. The reference to sex workers in my Hospet speech is being misconstrued and created an unnecessary controversy. I am sorry if my words, which are not malicious, have offended the sex worker community.”

While making the remarks against the sex workers, he was particularly harsh against State Minister Anand Singh and turncoats for switching sides.

Mr Anand Singh quit the Congress in 2019 to join the BJP. He, along with 17 MLAs of the then Congress and JD(S)-led coalition Government, had resigned from the party and crossed over to the BJP.

BJP spokesperson S Prakash was quoted by ANI as saying, “They should not use such low-level words, a few days ago, the Congress compared the CM to a dog, now calling BJP MLAs 'prostitutes' shows their culture.”