Rajasthan 'hamesha se mardo ka pradesh raha hai', says Minister Shanti Dhariwal on rising cases of rape

Rajasthan cabinet minister Shanti Kumar Dhariwal made a controversial statement in the state legislative assembly on Wednesday, differentiating 'rape with murder' from 'rape'. He went on, terming Rajasthan as a 'state of men', and proceeding to laugh about the issue thereafter.

Jaipur:Rajasthan cabinet minister Shanti Kumar Dhariwal made a controversial statement in the state legislative assembly on Wednesday, differentiating 'rape with murder' from 'rape'. He went on, terming Rajasthan as a 'state of men', and proceeding to laugh about the issue thereafter.

Speaking on the issue of increasing police grants in the state, Dhariwal said, "Rape and rape with murder come in separate categories. When it comes to rape with murder, Rajasthan is in the 11th position. Who's in the first position? Uttar Pradesh."

"We are the first when it comes to rape cases - there is no doubt about this. Why? There must be some mistakes (in the document)", the minister said, uttering an expletive in the process.

"Rajasthan, anyway, has always been a state of men. What can we do about this?", he further said, proceeding to snigger, leading the room full of ministers to join him.

Dhariwal also attributed the prevalence of rape in Rajasthan to 'obscene material' circulating on the internet and in social media platforms, saying it was the Centre's job to limit such content.