Ashok Gehlot's rape laws remark sparks controversy, BJP seeks Congress’s response

“After the Nirbhaya incident, the convicts are now hanged to death. This has led to an increase in the killings of girls. The accused - after the sexual assault - kills the victim so that there is no witness...This is a dangerous trend,” said Gehlot.

New Delhi: Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot’s remark, that death sentences for rape convicts have led to an increase in killings of those who are sexually assaulted, has triggered a huge row. The remarks have since garnered criticism from netizens as well as the Opposition BJP. The Congress leader made the remark on Friday during the protest by the Congress against price rise and hike in GST rates. 

In a video that has been shared by the Delhi Commission for Women’s chief, Swati Jaihind, the Gehlot can be heard saying, “After the Nirbhaya incident, the convicts are now hanged to death. This has led to an increase in the killings of girls. The accused - after the sexual assault - kills the victim so that there is no witness. I have observed a countrywide trend that this is happening….This is a dangerous trend.”

Elucidating on his remark, Gehlot said, “The rapist feels that the victim will become a witness against the accused. In such a situation, the accused finds it right to kill the victim. The reports that are coming from all over the country show a very dangerous trend. The situation in the country is not good.”

BJP seeks Congress’s reply over Gehlot's rape law remarks

With the remark stoking a controversy, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala on Sunday (August 7, 2022) questioned the silence of Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and lashed out at Ashok Gehlot-led government in Rajasthan over rape law remarks. 

Poonawalla slammed the mindset of the Congress party and said it is suffering from "blame game" mentality. He said that Rajasthan CM was blaming the rape laws, which were made stringent after the Nirbhaya episode which took place under the UPA watch, instead of blaming the rapists.

"In the past, Gehlot said that most of the rape cases filed by SC women are fake and even blamed rapes on rising unemployment and price rise. He also reminded about the statements of Shantilal Dhariwal, Minister in the Gehlot government, who said that Rajasthan was a `Mardon Ka Pradesh` while justifying why Rajasthan had become number one in rapes and women atrocities. He linked this to the rise in rapes in Rajasthan,” Shehzad Poonawala said. 

The BJP spokesperson also wondered if the party was batting for weaker rape laws. He slammed Priyanka Vadra for remaining silent on this statement and questioned her on her continuous silence over a series of sexist and anti-women remarks made by Congress leaders.

Attacking her for her politics on women`s atrocities, he said that the slogan `Ladki Hoon lad Sakte Hoon` had become `Ladki hoon bach sakti hoon` in Rajasthan.

Poonawalla further accused Congress of extending a hand of patronage to rioters and to rapists by recounting how the Karauli riots main accused was still not caught. "Over 2,000 rape cases of young girls take place in Rajasthan every year,” he said.  

(With agency inputs)