Mulayam stokes controversy with 'gangrape is impractical' remark

Lucknow SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav haskicked a fresh controversy with his comments on rape sayingwhile one man commits rape four are named to settle scoresand that rape by four persons was not practicalThis is not the first time that the former Uttar PradeshChief Minister has made shocking comments on rape Whileopposing capital punishment for rape last year he had sparkedoutrage by saying ladke ladke haingalti ho jati hai boyswill be boysthey commit mistakesSpeaking on the law and order situation in the state at afunction here Yadav had said considering UPs population thecrime rate was very lowThe SP supremo said that there were instances where onlyone person committed rape but the victim named four peoplemerely to settle scoresInnocent persons must not be implicated and harassedThere are cases where a victim has accused four brothers ofraping her It is not practical he saidMulayam Singh YadavTo stress his point Yadav cited the alleged rape andmurder case of two cousin sisters in Badaun stating that itwas blown out of proportionThe CBI probed the case and found out that rape was notcommitted at all They were coldblooded murders by thevictims cousins for property he saidBut even senior leaders like Congress President SoniaGandhis son Rahul rushed to Badaun and attacked the stategovernment on the law and order front he saidYadavs comments triggered a row with the BJP saying thatthe remarks were an insult to the fair sex and raisequestions over the decisions given by courts in gangrapecasesBJP spokesman Vijay Bahadur Pathak said There isnothing new in it In the past also on the issue of rape theSP supremo had said that youths tend to make mistakes Bygiving this logic Mulayam had showed insensitivity towardshalf of the population of the countrySuch a statement is a gross insult to the fair sex andwill ultimately lead to anarchy It also raises question markover decisions given by the courts in gangrape cases PathaksaidHe alleged that it was an outburst of a leader whose ownparty government was failing to control law and ordersituation in the stateYou can imagine the situation of a state where workersof the ruling party are acting like goons and rouges hechargedCongress said it would have been better if Mulayam hadadvised his son Akhilesh Yadavs government to take sternaction against antisocial elements instead of making such astatementThe biggest thing is that such a statement reflects SPsupremos disrespect towards women Such a statement wouldembolden elements involved in crime against women speciallyrape cases Congress spokesman Diwjendra Tripathi saidIt would have been better if he would have advisedthe government being run by his son to act tough against suchelements he saidSenior RLD leader Anil Dubey said the comment was only anattempt to mislead the peopleIf the government is failing to check rumours then itmenas that it has also failed to check crime he saidWith the UP government facing criticism over law andorder situation the SP supremo had yesterday hit out at theopposition saying an effort was being made to defame it andsmear campaign was being run against it due to politicalenmityEffort to defame the government is made due to politicalenmity Yadav had chargedTerming the SP chiefs statement as childish seniorBSP leader Swami Prasad Maurya claimed it would boost themorale of goonda and mafia elementsThe statement of SP chief is childish and will boost themorale of goonda and mafia elements Maurya who is also theLeader of the Opposition in the Assembly saidAs there is complete freedom in the state to commitcrime and loot people this statement is like a message thatno one dare make an attempt to lay their hands on suchelements Maurya saidThe BSP leader said the new definition of socialist isjitna bada aparadhi utna bada samajwadi