BENGALURU: Public Works Department minister and senior JD(S) leader H D Revanna stooped to new lows on Friday after making a sexist, personal attack on Sumalatha Ambareesh, wife of late actor-politician M H Ambareesh. The minister took a jibe at the veteran actress for aspiring to be a candidate from the Mandya Lok Sabha constituency immediately after her husband Ambareesh’s death.
His comments drew sharp criticism from fans and supporters of the actor as well as the BJP, whose leaders rallied behind Sumalatha. Despite all criticism, Revanna neither apologised for his comments nor acknowledged that he had made inappropriate personal attacks on his nephew Nikhil Kumar’s probable political opponent.
“Kumaraswamy had no intentions of fielding his son, but wanted a party worker to contest from Mandya. But when Sumalatha — it hasn’t even been a month since her husband died, and look at what she is up to — posed a challenge, we had no choice,” Revanna, who was in New Delhi, told reporters. With no remorse whatsoever, the JD(S) leader who had been in the news previously for throwing relief material at flood victims in Kodagu, intended that Sumalatha, and not the JD(S), was politicising her husband’s death.
“She has no sense of gratitude for everything that Kumaraswamy did,” he added referring to the Chief Minister taking the initiative of arranging a funeral for Ambareesh in Mandya.Sumalatha, who is yet to formally announce her decision on contesting from Mandya, reacted with grace even as she was touring the constituency on Friday. While expressing pain at the statement, the veteran actress asked people to decide who was right.
“He should know better. I am nobody to tell him. I will mind my work. Ours is a democratic country and everybody has freedom of expression. Let him speak. Let people decide what is right and wrong. People will reject or accept whoever is right. I leave it to the people,” Sumalatha said.
While JD(S)’ coalition partner Congress maintained a stoic silence over Revanna’s insensitive remarks, leaders from the BJP rallied in support of Sumalatha. Ambareesh was elected as MP from Mandya on a Congress ticket and had even served as a minister in the Siddaramaiah government, but the party chose to keep mum. Attempts to get in touch with state Congress president Dinesh Gundu Rao, working president Eshwar Khandre and Women and Child Welfare minister Jayamala went unanswered.
“Revanna making such statements as a responsible politician and minister, that too on International Women’s Day, is not right. It is, in fact, a crime. Sumalatha is not responsible for Ambareesh’s death. There is no rule that women who have lost their husbands should not be in politics, neither is there a time frame for them to enter politics. He should apologise to Sumalatha who is already in the pain of having lost a loved one,” said BJP MP Shobha Karandlaje.
Apart from state BJP president B S Yeddyurappa, legislators of the BJP like MLC Tejaswini Gowda and MLA Suresh Kumar too lashed out at Revanna for his comments. “It is very unfortunate that one of the senior-most ministers in the present cabinet has stooped to such level. Revanna’s statement speaks about his insensitivity,” Suresh Kumar said.
The solid backing by the BJP leaders comes at a time Sumalatha is expected to contest as an independent candidate against JD(S)’ Nikhil Kumar in Mandya. Despite coming under severe fire, Revanna remained defiant and refused to apologise. “I have not made any mistakes. Am I mad to apologise? Why should I? I never scolded her,” the minister insisted.