'You were quiet when rape was used as a political weapon': Smriti Irani to Opposition MPs

Union Minister Smriti Irani on Friday hit out at MPs of Opposition parties for politicising rape and said that they were quiet when rape was used as a political weapon.

Cornering the Opposition MPs here in the Lok Sabha, Irani said that "the fact that you shout here today means you do not want a woman to stand up and talk about issues".

She said that the legislators were quiet when rape was used as a political weapon.

"You were quiet when in West Bengal panchayat polls, rape was used as a political weapon, you were quiet then," the Union Minister lashed out at lawmakers from Opposition parties who were interrupting her during her speech in the House.

The debate in the Lower House comes after all four accused in the rape and murder of a veterinarian in Telangana were killed in an encounter with the police when the accused tried to escape while being taken to the crime spot, police said on Friday morning.

The doctor was brutally gang-raped and killed by the four before they burnt her body in Shamshabad area on November 27. The four accused were in judicial custody at Cherlapally Central Jail in Hyderabad.

Meanwhile, doctors in Safdarjung Hospital said that Unnao rape survivor who is undergoing treatment is in a very critical state and chances of her survival are less.

The 23-year-old was airlifted from Lucknow's SMC government hospital to Safdarjung Hospital last night.

According to the police, five men identified as Shubham, Shivam, Harishankar, Umesh and Ram Kishore, had allegedly thrown kerosene on the woman and set her ablaze when she was on her way to a local court for the hearing of the case she had filed.