Indian politician blames ‘western dress’ for sex attacks

 Reacting to reports of mass molestation on New Year’s Eve in Bengaluru despite huge police presence, Samajwadi Party leader Abu Azmi on Tuesday stirred a controversy by stating that it was bound to happen as the women were skimpily dressed.

“In today’s world, the more a woman is nude, the more she is considered modern and educated. Women call nudity fashion. Such things are on rise in the country. Western culture is a black spot on our culture and civilisation,” Azmi told media.

Azmi also compared women with petrol saying, “you have to keep petrol away from fire. And if there is sugar, ants will come automatically to it.”

He said women were responsible for their own security.

“Undoubtedly, making security arrangement to thwart any eventuality is police’s job. But, as far as Bengaluru molestation is concerned, women and their guardians must also take precautions and think that security starts at home. Our women must think about their own security themselves,” Azmi, a Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Shivaji Nagar, Maharashtra, said

He said partying late night in half attire has not been part of Indian culture.

“Ladies hailing from well-to-do families, be it from Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan or Uttar Pradesh, they come out in decent attire and mostly with their family members. But when few women in half dress come out on streets at late night with their friends, such incidents do occur,” Azmi said.

He said that women must not step out of their place at night.

“If a girl celebrates after dark she should go with her husband, father and not with strangers. They should not venture out alone. I am not against the freedom to women but we need to take precaution,” he said.

However, after a flurry of criticism, Azmi went on defensive and said, “if my sister is going outside home after sunset with a boy to celebrate New Year, it cannot be expected that people will behave with her in a respectable manner. Many people may get disappointed with my remarks but I don’t care. And this is the fact.”

Interestingly, reacting to molestation reports, Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara said “such incidents do happen.”

“Unfortunately, what is happening is that on days like New Years, Brigade Road, Commercial Street, or MG road, a large number of youngsters gather. And youngsters were almost like Westerners. They tried to copy the Westerners, not only in their mindset but even in their dressing. So some girls are harassed, these kind of things do happen,” Parameshwara said.

Girls were molested and abused by revellers in Bengaluru’s MG Road and Brigade Road during New Year’s Eve celebrations. This happened despite the 1,500 policemen deployed in the area

source : gulfnews