Comment on rape : Khattar says his statement was twisted

Gurugram: After courting controversy over his remarks on rape incidents, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said on Sunday that his statement had been twisted and asserted there should not be any politics on the issue.

"(My) statement has been twisted. I had said which is on record and I will again state it that during investigation in such cases, it was revealed that about 80 per cent of incidents took place between known. …But there is a need to bring awareness in society. There should not be any politics on this issue,” Khattar said.

Khattar had courted controversy over his remarks on rape incidents, with the Congress condemning the statement, saying the state government's "anti-women mindset" was exposed.

Hitting out at the chief minister, Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala had termed the statement deplorable. "Anti-Women Mindset of Khattar Govt Exposed! Haryana CM Khattar ji makes an utterly condemnable remark.

"Blaming Women for complete failures to control Rapes & Gangrapes? Deplorable!" Surjewala had tweeted.

Kejriwal condemns remark

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday condemned the controversial remark of Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on incidents of rape, and raised the issue of their security in that state.

"There is anger among women on Khattar's statement. Women say that when a chief minister can make such comments against them, how can women be safe in his state," Kejriwal tweeted in Hindi.

At a function in Kalka town of Panchkula district on Friday, Khattar said, "The incidents of rape have not increased... Rapes used to take place in the past and happens even today. (Only) the concern (over such incidents) has increased.