martes, 8 de enero de 2013

Victim equally responsible for plight: spiritual leader - Sin Chew Jit Poh

NEW DELHI, Jan 8 (Bernama) -- An Indian spiritual leader has caused controversy by saying the 23-year-old victim of a gang-rape was equally responsible for the crime that happened to her, Press Trust of India (PTI) reported.

Addressing his followers recently, Asaram Bapu said when encountering her six assailants on a bus who later raped and brutalised her, "she should have taken God's name and could have held the hand of one of the men and said 'I consider you as my brother' and should have said to the other two 'Brother I am helpless, you are my brother, my religious brother.'"

"She should have held their hands and feet...then the misconduct would not have happened. The accused men were drunk. If the girl had chanted hymns to God she would not have entered the bus. The mistake is not committed from one side."

The 23-year-old paramedical student was beaten and raped by six men on a bus in New Delhi on Dec 16 last year. She died of her injuries on Dec 28 while receiving emergency treatment at a hospital in Singapore.

Asaram's remarks sparked condemnation across the political spectrum and from women rights organisations on Monday.

The Indian People's Party (BJP) spokesperson Ravishankar Prasad said Asaram is a religious guru and the country looks up to him.

"His statement is deeply disturbing and painful. For him to make the statement regarding a crime that has shocked the country is not only unfortunate but deeply regrettable," he said.

An aide of the spiritual leader has sought to downplay the controversy over his remarks.

Neelam Dubey said the comments were made at a religious discourse in Delhi in the context of how one should invoke God's name to avoid incidents such as crimes against women.

"Asaram was trying to drive home the point that incidents like the gang rape could have been avoided by reciting mantras. He was giving that idea to his devotees. He was saying in the gang rape incident one should use common sense to avoid such incidents," she said.

Congress spokesperson Rashid Alvi said religious leaders "should give serious thought before speaking out."

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