Rape victim slams Azam Khan for 'publicity' remark

After Uttar Pradesh Minority Welfare Minister Azam Khan made an insensitive remark on an alleged rape victim telling her not to go seeking 'publicity', the latter on Friday lashed out at the minister saying his words did not match his position.

"Azam Khan did not help us, instead he started making untoward statements. Now I can't go to him. Being a minister he should not have said such thing. He should have helped us instead," the alleged rape victim told ANI here.

She described how she was raped in a moving car after her husband was brutally stabbed by three men, whom she identified with names.

"A man named Mohit raped me and there were five others with him. I had gone to the market and suddenly they pushed us in a car and started asking for money. They stabbed my husband and then started assaulting and raped me," she said.

"After raping me, they threw me out of the car. When I gained consciousness, I called up the police. They came but did not help us. After that we went to meet Azam Khan to complain about the police for not taking action against the accused," she added.

Khan had advised the rape victim, who had come to him seeking help, to not go looking for 'fame and attention' for her 'disgrace' or else she won't be able to face the world with dignity.

"I will take her memorandum and go ahead but she sure has gained publicity now. Her complaint is clearly in connection to the disgrace she is facing but if she goes around spreading the incident that happened with her, how will she face the world?," Khan said.

Hitting out at the UP minister for his remark, senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Laxmikant Bajpai told ANI that the statement was a blatant insult to women everywhere.

"Why are Mulayam Singh and Akhilesh Yadav not taking his statement into consideration and taking action? His statements are hurting the party's image yet they remain silent. If Akhilesh has any respect for women he will take action against Azam," Bajpai said.