Bengaluru, Aug 29 : Karnataka BJP chief and MLA B.Y. Vijayendra on Thursday accused the Siddaramiah government of acting irresponsibly in cases of violence against women.

Vijayendra was speaking at the inauguration of a state-level workshop of the BJP Mahila Morcha at the party's office here. He stated that the people were cursing this government, calling it anti-people.

"Ever since this 'evil' Congress government came to power, violence against women has been on the rise. Incidents of violence against women continue unabated in the state. In case of violence against women, the behaviour and responses of the Chief Minister, the Home Minister, and other ministers are crucial...Protests are inevitable when in opposition, but it is an insult and injustice to the people if protests are only carried out during election times. We must fight for the people when the government, which holds the reins of the state, follows anti-people policies," Vijayendra said.

He criticized the government saying that no development work has commenced since this government came to power. "During the Lok Sabha elections, the Congress government had released three instalments just 3-4 days before the Lok Sabha elections under the Gruha Lakshmi scheme, and more instalments will likely be released only when the District Panchayat and Taluk Panchayat elections approach," he slammed.

Vijayendra said that he had warned that if the Congress did not secure more seats in the Lok Sabha elections, they might halt the Gruha Lakshmi scheme, which is the case now. The free bus travel scheme for women has caused difficulties for schoolchildren and college students. The scheme is just a facade to gain votes from women, he added.

The BJP leader urged strengthening the Mahila Morcha through a membership drive and thanked the senior leaders' dedication, hard work of the party workers, and relentless struggle for the BJP's return to power at the Centre under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The recent Bengaluru-Mysuru padayatra was his first major movement as the state president. He expressed gratitude to the Mahila Morcha for adding new energy to the padayatra. "There was initial concern about the padayatra against the evil Congress government, with only five days left for preparation. Even the central leaders were worried, but I assured them that the padayatra would become a movement worthy of being written in golden letters in the state's history," he stated.

Speaking at the event, BJP Mahila Morcha State President K. Manjula stressed the importance of taking strict action against atrocities on women. She stated that when strict action is taken, evil-doers and criminals retreat.

/IANS