Women responsible for rapes, says MLA

Remarks made at a women’s meet ... It is wrong to say that women are less guilty, they are more responsible for rapes SHIV CHARAN PRAJAPATI

Hamirpur, April 1: In a shocking sexist comment, a ruling Samajwadi Party ( SP) MLA in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday said women were more responsible for rapes, drawing strong condemnation from Opposition parties.

“... It is wrong to say that women are less guilty, they are more responsible for rapes,” Shiv Charan Prajapati, MLA from Hamirpur, said at a women’s meet here. Mr Prajapati said women were also no less responsible for crimes like abortion and dowry harassment.

He also said no government can check incidents like rapes. “Only society can do it,” he added. When UP Women’s Commission chairperson Zarina Usmani, who was presiding over the meeting, objected to his remarks, the MLA said, “If I have said something wrong, I seek pardon.”

Incidentally, the MLA’s comments came on a day when three cases of rape involving a five- year- old in Firozabad and two teenaged sisters in Badaun were reported on Wednesday.

There was, however, no immediate reaction to the SP MLA’s remarks from his party.

Congress leader Akhilesh Pratap Singh slammed Mr Prajapati, asking how the SP MLA could make such insensitive comments.

BJP spokesman Vijay Bahadur said legislators should exercise caution while making comments failing which it will encourage the wrongdoers.

The trend of blaming women for crimes against them is, however, not new to SP leaders.

In the past, SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav and other veteran leaders of his party have publicly made objectionable remarks relating to violence against women.