A senior Congress legislator from Madhya Pradesh, Phool Singh Baraiya, triggered widespread political outrage after making controversial remarks on rape during a media interaction. The veteran MLA from Bhander suggested that men are often distracted by a woman’s appearance, which, according to him, leads to incidents of rape. His comments quickly drew criticism for appearing to justify sexual violence and for shifting blame onto women.
During the interview, Baraiya went further by linking rape to caste and religious explanations. He claimed that women belonging to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes face higher instances of sexual assault and questioned this reality through a deeply offensive lens. He stated that if a man sees a beautiful woman while walking on the road, even a sane person can get distracted, and then went on to ask whether women from Adivasi or SC/ST communities were considered beautiful, implying that their victimisation required a different explanation.
Continuing his remarks, Baraiya made even more inflammatory claims by invoking religion. He alleged that certain religious scriptures promote the idea that a man would be rewarded with a pilgrimage if he had sexual relations with women from these communities. He suggested that men who could not afford or undertake a pilgrimage resorted to raping women from these groups instead. The statement was widely criticised for being factually baseless, communal and deeply insensitive.
Baraiya also made a statement that further intensified the backlash, asserting that no man can rape a woman without her consent. This remark was seen as a complete misunderstanding of the concept of consent and was condemned for trivialising sexual violence and undermining the experiences of survivors.
The comments provoked a sharp response from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav strongly condemned the remarks and accused Baraiya of spreading divisive and poisonous views that harm social harmony. Yadav demanded that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi intervene personally and suspend Baraiya from the party for his statements.
Several other BJP leaders also launched attacks on the Congress MLA. Party spokesperson Sambit Patra criticised both Baraiya and the Congress leadership, saying that such remarks insult the ideals associated with Babasaheb Ambedkar. While expressing little expectation from Rahul Gandhi, Patra said he hoped Priyanka Vadra would urge the party leadership to take action and remove Baraiya. Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan also condemned the comments, saying they had deeply hurt him and reflected a disturbing mindset.
Despite the political storm and mounting criticism, Baraiya refused to retract or apologise for his remarks. When questioned further by the media, he accused the press of conducting what he described as a kangaroo court and claimed journalists had no right to pass judgment or issue what he termed a death sentence against him. His defiant stance has further fuelled the controversy and intensified calls for disciplinary action within the Congress.
