Rape is Rape, Don’t Politicise it: PM Narendra Modi in London Over Kathua, Unnao Cases

He also stressed upon the need for the people to teach their sons to treat girls with respect.

London, Apr 19: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday, while addressing the Indian diaspora at an event ‘Bharat Ki Baat, Sabke Saath’ in London, said there should be no politics over rape. Referring to the recent cases of sexual assaults, particularly Kathua rape case and Unnao rape case, he said that ‘a rape is a rape’.

“How can we tolerate this exploitation of our daughters? But can we compare the number of rapes in different governments? We cannot say there were this many rapes in our government and that many in yours. There cannot be a worse way to deal with this issue,” he was quoted as saying in an IANS report. (ALSO READ – Narendra Modi Knows How to Answer Pakistan in Their Language: PM on Surgical Strike)

He also stressed upon the need for the people to teach their sons to treat girls with respect. “That’s why I presented this issue from the Red Fort in a new way. I had said that if a daughter comes late, parents ask where had she gone and why. Whom did she meet?” he said.

The Prime Minister’s remarks came amidst the criticism faced by his government for the increasing cases of rapes. On Monday, Congress President Rahul Gandhi took to Twitter to point out that there were as many as 19,675 cases of rapes of children in 2016. On the other hand, former prime minister Manmohan Singh attacked PM Modi over remaining silent over Kathua and Unnao rape cases for too long. Singh said that the PM should follow his own advice and speak more often.

Earlier, condemning the rape incidents, PM Modi on April 13 said that the culprits won’t be spared. Speaking at the inaugural ceremony of Dr Ambedkar National Memorial, he said, “Incidents being discussed since past two days cannot be part of a civilised society. I want to assure the country that no culprit will be spared, complete justice will be done. Our daughters will definitely get justice.”

Recently, the rape and murder of an eight-year-old nomadic girl in Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir shook the nation. She was abducted on January 10. The minor was hidden inside ‘Devisthan’ for seven days, during which she was continuously raped. On January 17, her body was found from the nearby forest. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) of J&K Police Crime Branch has arrested eight people, including two special police officers (SPOs) and a head constable and a Sub-inspector in connection with the case.

In the Unnao case, the victim has alleged that she was raped by BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar at his residence on June 4, 2017 where she had gone with a relative seeking a job.