Hyderabad: Home minister, Mohammad Mahmood Ali, and education minister, Sabita Indira Reddy, made comments to Dr P. Priyanka Reddy’s family that she should have called the police. This has sparked outrage.
Both met the family to offer condolences but in the end wondered why she did not dial 100. This comment upset the family who felt the government was trying to shift the blame onto the victim.
Mahmood Ali went a step further and said that instead of Priyanka calling her sister, she should have called the police on Dial 100.
“We are saddened by the horrific incident,” he said. “Telangana police are always on the alert in controlling crime. Being an educated woman, she should have dialled 100 and taken help from the police instead of calling her sister. If she had called 100 she would have been saved. We have to spread awareness among citizens, mainly women, that 100 is a friendly number.”
Sabita Indira Reddy added: “Had she also called the police after speaking to her sister, it would have saved her life. It is very important that women save the police number on their mobile phones.”
The comments by senior ministers are not being received well by the public, insensitive as they are. People expressed outrage that the victim was blamed for not having taken steps to protect herself.
Mahmood Ali was castigated for his insensitive comment but later clarified that he was misunderstood.
“I only meant that calling police in distress will help,” he said. That his comments went viral further upset the minister who refused to talk to the media any further on the matter.
