The BJP was left red-faced after its chief whip in the Lok Sabha, Ramesh Bais, made a shocking remark that rape of grown-up girls and women might be understandable but a sexual assault on an infant is a heinous crime. His comments came barely a week after BJP ruled Madhya Pradesh’s minister Kailash Vijayvargiya made a controversial remark saying a women should remain within their “Laxman rekha (limit)” else they will be punished. The saffron party, which has been demanding death penalty for rapists, distanced itself from its MP’s comments saying it was his “personal view” and claimed party leaders will talk to Mr Bais on the issue. But the Congress slammed Mr Bais for his comments and said “leaders should be careful when they make such comments.”
Mr Bais made the remarks on Wednesday while referring to the sexual assault case involving minor inmates of a government-run residential school in Kanker district of Chattisgarh, which came to light last Sunday.
“Barabari ya bade logo ke sath balatkar samajh me ata hai, lekin nabalig bachhiyo ke sath is tarah ka jaghanya apradh karna. Inko to fasi par latka dena chahiye. (The rape of grown-up girls and women might be understandable but if someone does this to an infant, it is a heinous crime and the offenders should be hanged),” Bais said in Raipur. He however, described the Kanker incident as a “shame” and demanded stringent punishments for the accused.
AICC spokesperson Rashid Alvi, while condemning the BJP MP’s remark, said it was unfortunate that disrespect is being shown to women. “Leaders should be careful when they make such comments,” Mr Alvi said.
In Raipur, Congress spokesperson Shailesh Nitin Trivedi said “assault on anyone is a heinous crime. The statement is objectionable and we condemn this”.