It is a familiar narrative for India. And that is the most unfortunate part.

Women party-goers on New Year's Eve were harassed and molested en masse in the city of Bangalore, India's Silicon Valley.

What is most stunning, not in a good way though, is that drunken molesters could not be contained by even 1,500-plus policemen deployed in the area to ensure an "incident-free" New Year.

The attackers came in large numbers and wreaked havoc in the middle of the night across two prominent streets in the heart of the city.

Bengaluru’s night of shame | Bengaluru doesn’t know diddly-squat about celebrating – it only knows hooliganism. https://t.co/aO3XZsdxgV pic.twitter.com/iYLMig5si3 — Bangalore Mirror (@Bangaloremirror) January 2, 2017

Local newspaper Bangalore Mirror's photographers stood eyewitnesses. One of them reportedly revealed, “People were acting like they were helping the women, but actually they were molesting them, insulting them, just provoking them."

Some of the assaulted women took to social media to express their shock.

What added insult to injury, quite literally, is a local leader's — the state of Karnataka's Home Minister no less — brazen reaction to the incident. He has claimed that "these kinds of things do happen" on New Year's Eve.

And has conveniently blamed it on women aping "western culture" — a retort that is rather common, and lacking common sense, in this part of the world.

It has rightly angered citizens, especially women who are struggling to break out of a conservative society that has no respect for them as individuals.

Mass Molestation Of Women in Bangalore On New Year's Eve

Watch Eye witness tells horrific story pic.twitter.com/Rxy9DaZC9n — Archie (@Archu243) January 2, 2017

Bangalore incident proved what I have always maintained. No city is safe for women in this country.

Indian Men, this is on you.#bangalore — Lola Kuttiamma (@Priya_Menon) January 2, 2017

Why cant we agree that Bangalore mass molestation is a serious issue, women are not very safe, #NotAllMen are perverts, but its a problem — Overtly Covert (@bwoyblunder) January 3, 2017

The Bangalore incident is an indication of how low we prioritize women safety and security in India. — Bhak Sala (@bhak_sala) January 3, 2017

Bangalore's Night Of SHAME!!

Mass Molestation Of Women On New Year's Eve



No FIRs Yet,Imagine The Outrage Had It Happened In BJP Ruled State pic.twitter.com/jAg7oar9F8 — Sir Ravindra Jadeja (@SirJadeja) January 2, 2017

Shame on Karnataka Home Min who blames 'western culture, dress' for #Bangalore #NewYear mass molestation! https://t.co/jZI68jh7lR — Kavita Krishnan (@kavita_krishnan) January 2, 2017

Mass molestation? Seriously? What a shameful act in such developed city like Bangalore. India should take more measures fr safety of women. — Kartik Jhanwar (@KartikJhanwar) January 3, 2017

@narendramodi @SushmaSwaraj

I am from Bangalore. How can you help when the minister here says "such things happen" over mass molestation 😔 — Vidushii (@hungertalks) January 3, 2017

Some people are actually defending this mass sexual abuse and molestation. Exactly how much does this society hate women ... #Bangalore — commander cupcake (@Being_Siddhu) January 3, 2017

"mass molestation" in bangalore. Disgusts me that such a thing could even happen — nishtha madan (@nishthamadan) January 3, 2017

themselves is the same.



this one's being reported with a lot of noise; but it happens everywhere that's public and crowded. — Sandhya Menon (@TheRestlessQuil) January 2, 2017

Police must be held accountable for molestation in #Bangalore but not as failed protectors but as failed state functionaries.#WhyLoiter — Why Loiter? (@whyloiter) January 2, 2017

Sexual assault and molestation are among the most under-reported crimes in India, and even in this case, the Bangalore Police has revealed that they have not received any official complaints yet.

Now, it is to be seen whether any concrete action is taken against the molesters or the incident is brushed under the rug.