Davangere, 15 Oct

Congress MLA Shivaganga Basavaraj sparked outrage after making derogatory remarks against a woman forest officer who was absent from a Karnataka Development Programme (KDP) meeting due to pregnancy.

During the quarterly meeting, the Channagiri MLA questioned Range Forest Officer Shweta’s absence, saying, “She says she’s pregnant when asked to attend meetings. But is she not pregnant when she comes to collect her salary?”

He further commented, “If you are pregnant, take maternity leave. Don’t you feel ashamed to keep saying this?”

Basavaraj’s remarks triggered sharp criticism on social media and among the public, with many accusing him of being insensitive towards pregnant women and undermining maternity rights. Several demanded disciplinary action from the Congress leadership.

Attempting damage control, Basavaraj later clarified that his remarks were not aimed at insulting women. He said his concern was about administrative work being affected due to her absence, and that a representative from her department could have attended the meeting.

Defending the MLA, former Belagavi Congress president Vinay Navalgatti said Basavaraj intended to ensure accountability, not demean women.

However, BJP state convenor Sanjay Patil slammed the comments as reflective of Congress’s “mindset towards women”, urging voters to remember the incident in future elections.