Rape: SP's Abu Azmi lashes out at daughter-in-law actress Ayesha Takia

Lucknow, April 18: A bizarre remark on rape and sex by Samajwadi Party leader Abu Azmi brought his family into the battle field. Breaking his silence over the controversy, the leader finally lashed out at his daughter-in-law and Bollywood actress Ayesha Takia.

Criticising Ayesha, Azmi said, "The ladies from my family have got nothing to do with election promotional activities. We do not allow any of our ladies to go outside the house in wake of any such activities. Nor am I interested to take any support from Ayesha Takia."

"My son Farhan Azmi will be able to answer all your queries related to his wife. He knows better whether he wishes to allow his wife to work within or outside home premises," the Samajwadi Party leader added.

Earlier Ayesha had expressed dismay over his father-in-law's remark on women and rape. Azmi, the SP's Maharashtra unit head, said in an interview to Mid-Day that women who had physical relations with men should be hanged. He also said that rape victims should be punished.

Azmi, 59, said this when he was asked for a reaction on the controversial remark made by his party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav at a rally in Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh on Thursday. Yadav said that rapes are nothing but mistakes made by boys and that death penalty for rape could not be supported.

Ayesha, wife of Farhan Azmi, who is a candidate of the SP from Mumbai North-Central constituency in this Lok Sabha election, said in a tweet that she and her husband were deeply embarrassed and ashamed by the words of her father-in-law. She also said in another tweet that they do not share such a mindset.

Farhan Azmi, who played an instrumental role in getting the Lok Sabha poll candidature of actor Kamal Rashid Khan from Mumbai North West constituency on a SP ticket scrapped after the latter allegedly posted derogatory remarks about her women colleagues, advocated death penalty for rapists.

OneIndia News