Guru says woman could have averted gang rape

NEW DELHI: A popular Indian spiritual guru has sparked a backlash after saying a 23-year-old student could have averted a murderous gang rape by begging for mercy from her attackers.

Self-styled godman Asharam, known to his followers as “Bapu” or father, told his devotees that blame for the assault on a moving bus in New Delhi on December 16 should not rest with her attackers alone.

“This tragedy would not have happened if she had chanted God’s name and fallen at the feet of the attackers. The error was not committed by just one side,” he says in video footage that has been widely circulated on the internet.

The 71-year-old’s remarks – the latest in a series of gaffes by public figures blaming women for the country’s rape epidemic – drew a chorus of condemnation.

Ravi Shankar Prasad, spokesman for the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), said the statement was “deeply disturbing and painful”.

The Hindu newspaper said it was “a disgrace when a man of religion stoops so low”.

The editorial also criticised politicians from the ruling Congress party as well as the BJP for their sexist commentary on the New Delhi rape and the need for Indian women to stay home and make traditional choices. – Sapa-AFP