Madhya Pradesh Congress MLA Phool Singh Baraiya sparked controversy after he allegedly linked female beauty to rape and linked sexual crimes against Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe women to what he described as “teerth phal” (pilgrimage rewards).
Baraiya’s statements came to fore on Saturday when Lok Sabha Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi was in Indore in connection with the water contamination tragedy there. However, after MP president Mohan Yadav condemned the remarks and expressed hope that Gandhi would take action against him, Baraiya took a U-turn and attributed what he said to the Bihar philosopher, PTI reported.
What Cong MLA said
In the video, the combative MLA said he was quoting Harimohan Jha, head of the philosophy department in Bihar. “I quoted his statement in a certain context. I don’t agree with it myself. But I quoted it by taking his reference,” he said in a video message.
The Congress MLA from Bhander, Datia district made these controversial remarks during an interview with a media outlet and a video of the same soon went viral on social media. In the video, Baraiya allegedly claims that the highest rate of rape in India is on SC, ST and “Most Backward Classes” women.
Baraiya, a former MP Bahujan Samaj Party chief, further said that rape of women from these communities occurs because “such instructions are given in their (Hindu) religious scriptures”.
However, when asked by a reporter to point to a religious text that mentions it, Baraiya could not give a clear answer. However, Baraiya went on to interpret a Sanskrit verse which he said stipulated that physical relations with women of “certain castes” yielded “teerth phal” or “pilgrimage rewards”. “Now that he can’t go on pilgrimage, what was the option if he sat at home? That by intercourse with their women one gets that fruit? Then what will he do? He will try to catch someone in the dark. One man can never rape a woman. If she doesn’t agree, he won’t do it,” argued Baraiya.
What did CM Yadav say?
CM Yadav expressed hope that Rahul Gandhi would expel Baraiya.
“I hope Rahul Gandhi expels him from the party to make it appear that he (Gandhi) has respect for other sections of the society. I condemn this statement. Baraiya is an MLA so he has a responsibility to avoid such remarks,” Yadav said.
Ashish Usha Agrawal, Media Head of Madhya Pradesh BJP, shared the alleged video on X and demanded Baraiya’s expulsion from the Congress. He said weighing women on a “beauty scale” and describing the heinous crime of rape against SC-ST women as “teerth phal” was tantamount to admitting a criminal mindset. He said, “Shame! This is misogyny, anti-Dalit sentiments and a direct attack on humanity.”
Before the video message expressing his regret, Baraiya boldly stated that he stood by his comment. The MLA claimed that it was in the interest of 40 crore women from the SC and ST communities, adding that his statement had nothing to do with the Congress or Rahul Gandhi.
Speaking to reporters, the Bhander MLA sought to justify his controversial remark by quoting the verse “Chandali tu swayam Kashi” (Chandali girl is Kashi herself), which he claimed is mentioned in the “Rudrayamal Tantra”. When women from SC and ST communities are raped and even two-year-old girls are raped, “should I just sit quietly?” he asked.
(with input from agencies)