Andhra Pradesh Home Minister's remarks on rape case stokes row, CM blames TDP men for such acts

Andhra Pradesh Home Minister T Vanitha has come under severe attack from the Opposition for her statement that "certain incidents happen rather unwittingly" regarding a recent rape case even as Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Thursday claimed that those involved in such sexual assault cases belonged only to the Telugu Desam Party (TDP).

The Chief Minister’s remarks, made at a public meeting in temple town Tirupati, came in the backdrop of the controversial comments made by the state Home Minister. In reference to the incident of gang-rape in Repalle railway station where three people sexually assaulted a pregnant woman, the Home Minister claimed the accused had no such intention, except to rob her husband of money.

"They (accused) were drunk and when they were beating up her husband, the woman tried to protect him. In the process, the three assailants pushed her away and tied up and...something happened like that," the Home Minister said.

Last week, she blamed the mothers for not being responsible for the upbringing of their children.

"Without the mothers fulfilling their responsibility properly, it is not right to blame anyone, including police or the government, for such acts (sexual assault, etc.)," the Home Minister observed.

Vanitha’s comments that followed two major instances of gang rape in different parts of the state, saw the opposition parties lashing out at her for making such statements.

"Being a woman Home Minister, how could you make such reckless comments? The government's response to the law and order situation is bewildering," BJP state general secretary S Vishnuvardhan Reddy said.

"If mothers are responsible for the child’s conduct, is Y S Vijayamma (CM's mother) not responsible for Jagan being in jail for 16 months in 14 cases," TDP women's wing chairperson V Anitha questioned. Atrocities on girls and women have increased in the state only due to the inept rule of the regime under Jagan Mohan Reddy, Anitha said.