NCP woman leader says Nirbhaya 'invited' rape

Mumbai, Jan 29: Again, a politician has blamed women's clothing and behaviour as reasons for rape. This time, it is a woman who made the sexist comments.

On Wednesday, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and Maharashtra State Women's Commission member Asha Mirje, in her speech, cited women's clothing and behaviour as reasons for rape.

"Why did Shakti Mill rape victim go to an isolated spot at 6 pm?", she asked in her speech.

She didn't spare the Delhi gangrape victim, who succumbed to her inujuries in December 2012. Asha said that the Delhi gang-rape victim had only herself to blame for the sexual assault.

"Did Nirbhaya really have go to watch a movie at 11 in the night with her friend?" Mirje asked at a gathering of the NCP women's wing in Nagpur. "We have to be careful. We have to ask ourselves, where am I going, with whom am I going, what am I going for, do I really need to go to that place," she added.

Asha went ahead to say that it was clothing and behaviour of the woman and her presence in inappropriate places which cause rape.

"Due to these reasons a woman has to think whether, mistakenly, she is not inviting or inviting (to sexual assault)," Mirje said.

After the speech triggered controversy, NCP tried to distance itself from Asha's comments. The party spokesperson Nawab Malik said Mirje's remarks were not the party's official position.

Oneindia News