A BJP lawmaker from Uchana Kalan, Haryana, Premlata Singh, on Saturday blamed “frustration” among unemployed youths as the reason for rapes in the country, triggering angry reactions on social media. She was commenting on the gang-rape of a 19-year-old woman in Haryana’s Rewari city.
The frustration that has crept into the minds of our youths is one of the reasons behind such incidents (rapes). Youths who are frustrated, unemployed and unsure of their future commit such heinous acts.Premlata Singh
“A wrong tradition has started in our society...Men develop bad intentions when they see a woman anywhere,” she added.
The BJP lawmaker’s remarks were criticised by many on social media.
The 19-year-old rape survivor, a student with a strong academic record, was allegedly kidnapped by three men from a bus stop and raped on 13 September in Rewari. The three accused, which include an army man posted in Rajasthan, are on the run.
Under fire for not being able to arrest the three, days after the incident, the Haryana police has set up a special investigation team to probe the case and announced a reward of one lakh rupees for any information about the accused.
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