Women's bodies demand apology from leaders for sexist remarks

Slogan-shouting-activists of Uttarakhand Mahila Manch, Mahila Samakhya and Disha gathered at the Gandhi Park here yesterday and condemned the remarks made by RSS chief Mohan Bahgwat, self-styled godman Asaram Bapu and several other leaders following the December 16 gangrape of a paramedic student.

These leaders must offer a public apology for their "sexist" remarks reflecting their "regressive mindset" towards women, they said.

Noting that crimes against women are on the rise across the country, they said the accused in the gang rape case should not be allowed to turn approvers.

They must be hanged to set a strong deterrent for potential wrongdoers, the activists said.

Asaram's remarks that the victim should have called perpetrators of the gang rape her "brothers" and begged them to spare her has not gone down well even with the organisations of saints and seers based in Haridwar which have expressed resentment over his statement.

"This is a country which worships women as goddesses. Asaram has hurt our sentiment by issuing a statement like this," Haridwar-based Joona Akhara's secretary Shri Mahant Giri said.

Sudarshan Akhara chief Mahant Raghuvir Das also condemned Asaram and and Madhya Pradesh Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya for their controversial remarks in the wake of the gangrape incident.