Blaming women for rape; trivializing incident; issuing rape threats: Indian politicians who let tongues loose

Following the cheap comment by former speaker and Congress MLA KR Ramesh Kumar in the Karnataka Assembly yesterday, netizens slammed the outrageous behaviour for trivializing rape. Ironically, this is not the first time he has made such remarks, earlier too he has let his tongue loose and later apologized. Here is a list of Indian politicians who have let their tongue loose and outraged the modesty of women with comments.

Ramesh Kumar, senior Congress leader has not just landed himself in a shameful situation with his distasteful comment joking about 'rape' in Assembly but also has put the party in the tight spot. Kumar's comment 'when rape is inevitable, lie down and enjoy it' came immediately after Karnataka Speaker expressed helplessness when more legislators demanded time to discuss on crop loss.

Now the issue has gone viral on social media and has put both Kumar and Congress in an embarrassing situation. Interestingly, Kumar is making such comments for the second time and he is not the only person in 'loose tongue club' as leaders across India have passed insensitive remarks on women and outraged their modesty. Here is the list of leaders who made shocking comments on women:

Araga Jnanendra feared Opposition attack on the incident and said, 'Opposition will rape me':

Karnataka Home Minister had recently courted controversy with his comments on the Mysuru gangrape incident. While reacting to press on the issue, Jnanendra had said 'now opposition will rape me' following the incident. He also shamed the victim asking why she had gone out in the dark. Following criticism, he apologized.

Ex-HM KJ George opined that if two persons rape a woman, its not gangrape:

Former Home Minister and Congress MLA landed himself in trouble in a gangrape incident involving a BPO employee in 2015. The driver and his assistant raped a woman in a tempo traveler. While reacting to the press, George told two people raping a woman cannot be considered as gangrape.

KS Eshwarappa, Karnataka minister said if women are raped, the Opposition can do nothing:

During the same year in 2015 when reporters asked the law and order situation to Eshwarappa who was in Opposition, expressed that the Opposition cannot do much. Eshwarappa addressing women journalists said 'if someone takes you and rapes, what can the Opposition do'. This comment put BJP in a shameful situation then and the leader had to apologize later.

Mulayam Singh Yadav once said its boys' nature to commit rape:

Samajwadi patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav had once courted controversy when his party was opposing the death penalty to three rape convicts involved in gangrape. For such unruly behaviour of men, Yadav reportedly told 'boys will be boys and they commit mistakes (rape).' He also blamed girls for registering false complaints when their friendship with boys gets strained.

Abu Azmi wanted the death penalty for women:

Another SP leader had appealed for punishment for women in the rape case. He had said that any woman who goes with another man with or without consent should be hanged. After condemnation, he backtracked his statements.

Shiv Charan Prajapati, Samajwadi party leader had blamed women for rape:

At the time in power, Hamirpur SP leader, Shiv Charan Prajapati made shocking comments holding women responsible for rapes. He told 'it is wrong to say that women are less guilty, they are more responsible for rapes. Ironically the statements were made at a women's meet in 2015.

Botsa Sathyanarayana termed rape incident as minor and asked girls not to go out in dark:

Minster in Jagan government Satyanarayana had courted controversy when he was undivided Andhra Pradesh in 2012 after Delhi gangrape. He not only had termed the incident as 'minor' but also asked women and girls not to venture out in the dark.

Om Prakash Chautala wants girls to be married at an early age to avoid rape:

The seasoned politician from Harayana had supported Khap Panchayat's decision on early marriage to avoid 'rape' and putting checks on young boys and girls from straying.

Tapas Pal TMC leader issued rape threat:

TMC leader who is no more now had once made a shocking comment of letting his boys (TMC) workers to rape Communist women and girls. Addressing a crowd he had told that if any TMC worker is attacked or women from the party are insulted, he said 'he will not spare and will let his boys at their homes and then they will commit rape'.

A video is said to have appeared in the local language that went viral of Pal's rape threat and later he said he only meant to 'raid' at homes and not rape.

RR Patil former Maha DyCM wanted an MLA to wait for elections to get over to commit rape:

In 2014 former Maharashtra Deputy CM at Sangli addressed a crowd and told that jailed MNS MLA in rape case should have waited for some more days for elections to get over and then committed rape. Patil was trivializing rape at that time.
Patil however clarified that he was sarcastically taking a dig at his opponent involved in a criminal case.

Recently in Hatras gangrape and murder case, MLA asked parents to teach 'good' values to girls to stop rapes:

BJP MLA Surendra Singh from UP last year has made this shocking comment government cannot prevent rapes until parents inculcate good values among girls.