Karnataka Home Minister faults media for projecting Bengaluru as 'rape city'

K J George blamed the media for highlighting 'only such news' and projecting Bengaluru as 'a rape city' to increase TRP ratings

Facing heat over increasing sexual assaults of minor girls in schools, Karnataka Home Minister K J George today waded into a controversy as he blamed the media for highlighting "only such news" and projecting Bengaluru as "a rape city" to increase TRP ratings.

"What has happened to the media is you want only such news, you are showing only such news to increase your TRP. Show good news, it will be good," George told reporters here.

His remarks came when questioned about a spate of sexual assault incidents in schools here grabbing national headlines with four cases involving minor girls occurring in as many months, evoking public outrage and protests.

Asked if he wants the media to refrain from publishing such news, he said "I'm responding to your question- that such news has grabbed national headlines...."

"I have told in detail several times that after Nirbhaya case Sec 376 (relating to rape) has got a wider definition, and the incidents happening within the school premises should be stopped by school managements. When complaints have come we have acted."

"Projecting Bengaluru as rape city and putting people of Karnataka in a bad light, we have objections to it," he said, as the government came under fire over the recurrence of sexual assaults on minor girls in schools.

In July, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had courted a controversy over the alleged rape of a six-year-old girl in a city private school, as he asked the media if it did not have any other issue.

"Except that, don't you have any other issue? Is this the only news you have?" Siddaramaiah had snapped back at reporters who sought to know the latest on the case that had evoked public outrage and drawn criticism of his government for not acting swiftly.