Even the woman is guilty in rape cases, says Indian politician

A political party leader in India caused outrage this past week by saying that women who were raped should also be punished, according to reports.

Maharashtra Samajwadi Party chief Abu Azmi said: “If a woman is caught (in a rape case), then both she and the boy should be punished. In India, there is death penalty for rape, but when there's consensual sex outside marriage, there's no death penalty against women,” reported The Times of India.

The criticism came in thick and fast, with rights groups and Azmi’s own son and daughter-in-law publicly condemning the comments.

Another party leader, Mulayam Singh Yadav, said to supporters at a rally in that that the death sentence for as punishment for rape was too harsh.

“Boys make mistakes,” he said, “but this doesn’t mean you hang them, ” reported Mid-Day.

Azmi responded to Yadav’s statement, saying rape was punishable by death in Islam.

“But here, nothing happens to women, only to men. Even the woman is guilty.”

He then went back on his comments, saying he never said that rape victims should be punished, said NDTV.

“I never said that the girl who is raped should be punished. I said rapists should be punished and girl is a victim. I said that all of us should show solidarity with the girl.

“I will never make such statement, only a mad person will say such things,” he added.