Women in Bangalore suffered physical and mental agonies on New Year’s Eve. Women across the country were subjected to a high degree of shame when political elements came up with the customary male chauvinistic line that the victims had “asked for it”. Alas, both the action and reaction are not uncommon. Yet what really sickens all right-thinking people, regardless of their sex, is the silence of the mama-beta leadership of the Congress party.

Was it not honour-bound to take to severe task the home minister in its government in Karnataka who initially made light of the outrageous behaviour, which set the tone for the indifferent attitude displayed by the city police, and actually facilitated the subsequent flood of misogynistic comments that confirm the burden with which Indian women are laden? Condemnation from Sonia Gandhi was expected not because of the fact of her “gender” but because the political party she heads prides itself on being “modern”, “progressive” and “liberated” from the archaic thinking that dominates its major rivals. This was an occasion to convince “young India” that it was so different from most other political elements: it failed to do so.

And in this age of instant communication there was no valid reason for Sonia or Rahul to hold back and not strike out in favour of the harassed Indian woman. The minister who ought to have been served with immediate marching orders does not wield the kind of political clout that should have made the “high command” wary of publicly admonishing him. True that the comments from G Parmeshwaram were not as disgusting as what was mouthed by a Samajwadi Party neta in Mumbai: the difference being that the Congress projects itself as being “different”.

Or is that difference being obliterated as it seeks some kind of a tie-up with the Samajwadi for the upcoming poll in UP? That none of the Congress’ spokespersons broached the subject for three days confirms that it would prefer to sacrifice the interests of women rather than call its’ Karnataka government to account.

Indian misogyny, it is obvious, cuts across party lines. For the people of Bangalore it has been a double whammy. Their state government has hardly earned a reputation for efficiency, now the police has disgraced itself. The “strong” force deployed at MG Road/Brigade Road did little to contain the wanton hooliganism, now the cops seek formal complaints before taking criminal action.

The induction of “new” officers on December 31 points to gross administrative incompetence. And now a salvage operation is being launched — the “image” of Bangalore is being mischievously tarnished, so goes the chant. “Image” is a reflection of reality: the truth was told at MG Road before 2017 dawned.