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MYSURU/CHAMARAJNAGAR: Karnataka housing minister V Somanna, who is also Chamarajanagar district minister, slapped a woman at Hangala village, 10km from Gundlupet, on Saturday evening during a site title distribution event.
After a video of the incident went viral and Congress attacked him, the minister denied insulting any woman and offered apologies if he had hurt anyone. “I’ve great respect for women. I’ve been in public life for 45 years in which I’ve seen many ups and downs,” he added.
The woman, identified as Kempamma, too, denied the charges, saying the minister’s hands accidentally touched her while she was trying to hold his legs seeking allotment of site.
Sources said the incident took place when Kempamma, not aware that she had been allotted a site by the government, started inching closer to the minister to know why her name didn’t figure in the list of beneficiaries.
During the event organised by Hangala grama panchayat and attended by Somanna on Saturday evening, title deeds were handed over to 10 of the total 173 beneficiaries symbolically under the government’s housing scheme. After the controversy over the slapping incident, Kempamma got her title deed around Sunday noon, sources said.
The trouble started Saturday evening when a few women alleged lack of transparency in the selection of beneficiaries and that supporters of a local Congress leader were selected in large numbers. Somanna said, “I assured the woman that I will resolve her problem and moved her (away). I didn’t slap her.” In two videos, Kempamma said Somanna consoled her when she held his feet seeking a site. “He assured me help, and he did help me. I’m doing puja in his name,” she added.
After a video of the incident went viral and Congress attacked him, the minister denied insulting any woman and offered apologies if he had hurt anyone. “I’ve great respect for women. I’ve been in public life for 45 years in which I’ve seen many ups and downs,” he added.
The woman, identified as Kempamma, too, denied the charges, saying the minister’s hands accidentally touched her while she was trying to hold his legs seeking allotment of site.
Sources said the incident took place when Kempamma, not aware that she had been allotted a site by the government, started inching closer to the minister to know why her name didn’t figure in the list of beneficiaries.
During the event organised by Hangala grama panchayat and attended by Somanna on Saturday evening, title deeds were handed over to 10 of the total 173 beneficiaries symbolically under the government’s housing scheme. After the controversy over the slapping incident, Kempamma got her title deed around Sunday noon, sources said.
The trouble started Saturday evening when a few women alleged lack of transparency in the selection of beneficiaries and that supporters of a local Congress leader were selected in large numbers. Somanna said, “I assured the woman that I will resolve her problem and moved her (away). I didn’t slap her.” In two videos, Kempamma said Somanna consoled her when she held his feet seeking a site. “He assured me help, and he did help me. I’m doing puja in his name,” she added.
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