A politician from India has been criticized for making jokes about rape at parliament.
Ramesh Kumar (former parliamentary speaker, now congressional leader) made this comment during Thursday’s debate.
He made the jibe as current speaker Vishweshwar Kageri struggled to control a debate on farmer’s rights, saying he was temped to sit back and let the row rage.
‘There is a saying: When rape is inevitable, lie down and enjoy it,’ Mr Kumar replied to laugher from Mr Kageri and elsewhere in the house.
Ramesh Kumar caused outrage by joking during an Indian parliamentary debate that “When rape becomes inevitable, lie back and have fun” (file image).
The remark drew outrage in the house from the female members, who claimed that Mr Kumar was ignoring an important issue that still plagues India.
Poornima, from the ruling BJP, responded by saying: ‘When I came to the assembly we looked up to Ramesh Kumar to see his parliamentary skills.
“But, it seems like he doesn’t have respect for women.”
RoopakalaM, another lawmaker added that a victim of sexual assault has suffered trauma her whole life. This analogy should not be used for another.
The remark was made by Mr Kumar on Twitter. He later apologized and called it ‘indifferent’ and ‘negligent’.
“My intention wasn’t to make light or trivialize the horrible crime. [to make]A joking comment. He said, “I will be careful with my words from now on.”
However, he refused to apologize on camera for his actions while attending Parliament on Friday. Since then, he has not addressed the matter.
Kageri was also criticized for his laughter at the “joke” and refused to have further discussions on the topic during Friday’s session.
He stated, “We respect all women and strive to ensure that their respect for them is not diminished.”
The remark was made in Karnataka’s state assembly on Thursday while the speaker was struggling to control a debate on farmer’s rights
Vishweshwarkageri stated that he felt tempted to let the arguments rage and then Mr Kumar came up with his joke.
“I don’t believe it is necessary to raise the subject and create controversy.”
This isn’t the first time Mr Kumar got in trouble for making a joke about comparing the parliamentary process with rape.
After defending against corruption claims, he did a similar joke in 2019.
“I was only raped once. He said that he was making me feel, like all rape victims, like I’ve been raped many times.
India has a long history of sexual violence. This was highlighted after a gang assault on a bus in Delhi, 2012, during which a student was murdered.
Although the incident is frequently covered by media in India after it happened, thousands upon thousands of rapes continue to be reported every year. Many tens or thousands more are likely to remain unreported.
Despite promises by police chiefs and politicians to treat rapes more seriously in India, conviction rates for reported rapes remain below 30%. This has been the case for the past decade.
India is also plagued by sexual violence against minors. Around a fifth (or so) of all victims each year are below the age 18.