NCW slams Goa MP's remarks on rape victim

The National Commission for Women on Wednesday termed as 'derogatory and irresponsible' the remarks of a Congress Member of Parliament from Goa on the alleged rape of a Russian woman in the state.

"The remark is derogatory and irresponsible. Rape is rape and cannot be classified on a different footing," NCW Chairperson Girija Vyas said in New Delhi.

She said a victim is always a victim. "So she is a victim...I don't know why he uttered those words."

Congress MP Shantaram Naik had said in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday that if a woman moves with strangers in the late hours, the case of rape should be treated differently, evoking strong protests from women members.

Raising the issue of the alleged rape of a Russian woman, Naik said the electronic media was blowing the case out of proportion. He said while rape is the most heinous crime, '..an alleged rape of a lady who moves with strangers for days together even beyond middle of the night is to be treated on different footings.'

Naik's comments evoked strong protests by opposition members particularly Brinda Karat (Communist Party of India-Marxist), Najma Heptulla, Maya Singh (Bharatiya Janata Party) and Jaya Bachchan (Samajwadi Party). They sought intervention of the Deputy Chairman K Rahman Khan, saying Naik should not be allowed to speak the language which, they said, was derogatory to women.

Khan asked the Goa MP to submit his Zero Hour text for examination and said the member was going beyond the subject he wanted to raise.