Lucknow: Samajwadi Party (SP) supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav raked up another controversial statement on rape. Yadav on Tuesday said that many rape cases are made out to be gang-rapes but it is “not practical”.
While addressing a gathering during distribution of e-rickshaw on Tuesday, he also added, one person commits a rape; four are named in the complaint, though rape by four persons is not “practically” possible.
Yadav claimed that Uttar Pradesh features at the bottom of the list when it comes to rape incidents taking place across.
“The population of Uttar Pradesh is 21 crore while that of Madhya Pradesh is 6 crore. In MP, the percentage of rape cases is 9.8% while in UP, it is 2%. Moreover, in Rajasthan — also ruled by BJP — this percentage is 7%. Don’t even ask about Delhi, I live there and know what happens. So, if there is one place with the lowest number of rapes, it is Uttar Pradesh,” Mulayam said.
Claiming that the percentage of rape in UP was only 2, Mulayam said the government wants to see that even this is done away with and for this, he has asked his son and Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav to come up with a policy to address the issue.
-Condemnation-
Subtle abetment to rape by Mulayam Singh Yadav. Has he never heard of gang rape?? Deplorable
— shazia ilmi (@shaziailmi) August 19, 2015
Shobha Oza of the Congress said: “Earlier also he has given such statements. Today also he said that gang rape is not possible. This kind of statements encourage the goons who do this.”
The women activists on Wednesday said that this was an attempt by him to tone down the number of similar cases being reported from Uttar Pradesh.
“Every now and then, we come across these incidents. He (Mulayam Singh) does not know how to escape from it. This is one of the waste parts that he wants to say,” said women activist Pramila Nesargi.
Another women activist Kavita Srivastava said the Samajwadi Party chief, who is the leader of the male dominant and patriarchal society and culture, always thinks that women are liars.
“He is assuming that sexual violence against women doesn’t take place and they (women) are always lying. He thinks that rapes can take place but gang-rapes are impractical,” Srivastava said.
In April 2014 also Mulayam Singh Yadav came into lime light for his similar offensive comment on rape; saying “boys will be boys. they commit mistakes.” Addressing a rally in Moradabad, he had said, “First girls develop friendship with boys. They when differences occur, they level rape charges. Boys commit mistakes. Will they be hanged for rape?”