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LequteMan
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A provincial leader from the ruling Nationalist Congress Party, Asha Mirje, said on Wednesday that women share the blame for the spate of rape in India, inviting the crime sometimes.
"Rapes take place also because of a woman's clothes, her behaviour and her being at inappropriate places.
"We, women have to be careful; we have to ask ourselves, where am I going, with whom am I going, what am I going for, do I really need to go to that place?’’ Mirge told a women's gathering in central Nagpur city, in comments broadcast on NDTV news channel.
Referring to a fatal December 2012 gang rape in Delhi and last year's gang rape of a photojournalist in Mumbai, Mirge questioned why women were out late in the evening.
"Did Nirbhaya (a name given to the Delhi rape victim) really have to go to watch a movie at 11 in the night with her friend?
"Take the Shakti Mills gang-rape case, why did she go to such an isolated spot at 6.00 p.m.?’’ said Mirge, who is a member of the Maharashtra state Women's Rights Commission.
She later apologised, but her comments drew condemnation and protests from women and activists in India.
The remarks came at a time when India had had several high-profile sex crimes including rapes of foreign tourists.
The crimes prompted the government to announce stricter punishments, but there are doubts about whether it has a deterrent effect.
"Rapes take place also because of a woman's clothes, her behaviour and her being at inappropriate places.
"We, women have to be careful; we have to ask ourselves, where am I going, with whom am I going, what am I going for, do I really need to go to that place?’’ Mirge told a women's gathering in central Nagpur city, in comments broadcast on NDTV news channel.
Referring to a fatal December 2012 gang rape in Delhi and last year's gang rape of a photojournalist in Mumbai, Mirge questioned why women were out late in the evening.
"Did Nirbhaya (a name given to the Delhi rape victim) really have to go to watch a movie at 11 in the night with her friend?
"Take the Shakti Mills gang-rape case, why did she go to such an isolated spot at 6.00 p.m.?’’ said Mirge, who is a member of the Maharashtra state Women's Rights Commission.
She later apologised, but her comments drew condemnation and protests from women and activists in India.
The remarks came at a time when India had had several high-profile sex crimes including rapes of foreign tourists.
The crimes prompted the government to announce stricter punishments, but there are doubts about whether it has a deterrent effect.
