Overview
- Congress MLA Phool Singh Baraiya said seeing a “beautiful girl” can distract a man and lead to rape, linking the crime to caste and purported religious beliefs.
- He cited a text he called Rudrayamal Tantra and claimed perpetrators believe assaulting women of certain castes brings spiritual merit, a characterization reported as his assertion.
- Baraiya also claimed SC, ST and OBC women are not beautiful yet are targeted and referenced cases involving infants while describing a so‑called perverted mindset.
- Madhya Pradesh Congress president Jitu Patwari publicly disowned the remarks, stating that rape cannot be justified or tied to caste or religion.
- BJP leaders condemned the comments as reflecting a criminal mindset and pressed for apology or expulsion as civil groups voiced outrage, with no formal disciplinary action reported yet.