Yahoo Lifestyle Indian Minister Says 'Rape Sometimes Right'
Protesters gather in New Delhi.
An Indian minister has sparked outrage for his insensitive comments about the recent gang-rape and murder of two girls in the village of Katra Shahadatganj.
Babulal Gaur, the home minister of central Madhya Pradesh state, said the crime could only have been considered to have been committed if it was reported to police.
"This is a social crime which depends on men and women. Sometimes it's right, sometimes it's wrong," Gaur told reporters. "Nothing can be done until there is a complaint."
However, it's reported the father and uncle of one of the victims tried to report the crime to local police but were turned away.
Three men have been since been arrested over the killings, with two policemen held on suspicion of cover up.
Indian prime minister Narendra Modi, who was sworn in just last week, has so far remained silent over the issue.
But when Gaur was asked by reporters about the sharp rise in rape cases across India, he replied with the words: "It's not as if you faced any danger."
The confusing and insensitive comments are just the latest in a case that has divided the country.
A rape is reported in India every 21 minutes on average, but it's thought many more go unreported.
On Monday, Indian police used water-bombing techniques to disperse a crowd that had gathered in New Delhi to demand an end to the violence.
"There should be justice for the families of the two teenage girls and for all the women and girls from lower-caste communities who are targeted and raped in rural India," said Lise Grande, the UN's resident coordinator for India.
"Violence against women is not a women's issue, it's a human rights issue."
India introduced tougher rape laws last year after the gang-rape and murder of a student on a bus in New Delhi, but it's done little to appease the situation.
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