Gangrape: Asaram apologises for his remarks against victim

, Jan 9: Finally, self-proclaimed godman

offered an apology for his controversial remarks against the 23-year-old Delhi gangrape victim. After initially denying his statement against the victim of brutal gangrape, Asaram tendered his apology.

"How can I blame the girl for the rape? I am not that cruel," he told to News Channel Times Now. "If I have done something wrong, I will apologise a thousand times."

Asaram landed in controversy following his statement where he blamed the 23-year-old paramedical student who was sexually assaulted by six men in Delhi on Dec 16. The "godman" also claimed that the six accused should not face harsher punishment such as "capital punishment".

While reacting to media queries, Asaram Bapu chided, "The media has created a controversy but what did I say that was wrong? One dog barked and more dogs (the media) joined in. Dogs will bark but they can't harm an elephant's dignity."

Asaram Bapu's statement on the gangrape victim enraged the countrymen. However, his supporters and followers tried to defend him saying that his statement was fabricated. Earlier, he had said that the victim of the Delhi gangrape could have saved herself by addressing her violators as bhaiyya (brother) and beseeching for mercy.

Then, he aggravated the situation when he claimed that an "anti-men" campaign had taken hold following the Delhi gangrape incident and that a new anti-rape law enacted in such a climate will be prone to be similarly misused as anti-dowry laws and SC and ST Act.

The spiritual guru cautioned that any new law on crime against women may be misused by vested interests. "Mahilayon ki izzat honi chahiye par ek doosre ko neecha dikhane ke liye log bazaaru mahilayon ka istemaal kar is kanoon ka durupyog kar sakte hain. Aisa aksar dekha gaya hai. Dahej kanoon iska sabse bada uddharan hai (Women should be respected but no new law should be framed which can be misused by vested interests with the help of women of loose morals)," he said, addressing his followers in Bhankari village on the outskirts of Delhi.

OneIndia News