Bhopal : The Congress MLA from Madhya Pradesh, Phool Singh Baraiya, sparked major political outrage following his remarks on rape. The veteran leader on Saturday claimed in a media interview that beautiful women can often distract men, which results in rape. Women from Schedule Castes, the Scheduled Tribes, and the OBC communities are being raped the most. The theory of rape is that if a man sees a beautiful woman while walking down the road, no matter how sane he is, he will be distracted.
Baraiya mentioned, Then why do they get raped? Because it is written in their religious scriptures that if a man has intercourse with women from these communities, he will be rewarded with a pilgrimage. So, a man who can’t go for a pilgrimage, what will he do as an alternative? He tries to rape a woman from these communities. Barariya also said that a man can never rape a woman without the latter’s consent.
I strongly criticise what he (Baraiya) had said. I want Rahul Gandhi to come and talk to him and suspend him for the remarks,” Yadav said. Agarwal questioned the Congress leadership, especially as Rahul Gandhi is visiting Madhya Pradesh, asking whether this reflected the party’s real ideology behind its “Save the Constitution” campaign. He demanded either an immediate apology and expulsion of Baraiya or a clear acknowledgement from the Congress that it stands with such thinking.
This is not just about politics, Agarwal said. “A woman is a goddess, not an object. Insulting women will never be accepted. The controversy has also revived scrutiny of Baraiya’s past remarks. In January 2026, he drew criticism for saying SC-ST MLAs were in a “dog-like condition” under the joint electoral system and opposing tribal identity within Hinduism. In October 2024, he allegedly threatened administrative officers over election-related issues, and in October 2020, he made comments warning of upper castes turning India into a Hindu nation if Dalits did not “wake up.”
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