A storm of condemnation has erupted across India after Congress MLA Phool Singh Baraiya, representing Bhander in Madhya Pradesh, made highly controversial remarks linking rape to women’s appearance, caste and religious scriptures in a media interview.

Baraiya claimed that a “beautiful girl” could distract men and that women from Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST) and Other Backward Classes (OBC) are raped because certain scriptural beliefs purportedly promise spiritual rewards (teerth phal) for such ac an assertion widely derided as offensive, misogynistic and factually baseless.

Leaders across the political spectrum, including senior figures from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and civil society groups, have condemned the remarks, demanding accountability and disciplinary action.

The Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister and BJP leaders have called for his expulsion from the Congress, while the Congress state leadership has distanced the party from his statements and insisted that rape cannot be justified or linked to beauty, caste, religion or scripture. Baraiya later claimed he did not personally endorse the views he quoted, but the controversy continues to escalate.

MLA Remarks Trigger Political Outrage

Phool Singh Baraiya’s remarks, made during a recorded media interview that quickly spread across social and traditional platforms, have drawn sharp criticism from across India’s political and social landscape. Baraiya suggested that seeing a “very beautiful girl” might distract a man and lead to rape, a claim widely denounced as victim-blaming and rooted in regressive gender stereotypes.

He went on to assert that women from SC, ST and OBC communities are disproportionately targeted because “religious scriptures”, he claimed, promise spiritual merit to perpetrators assertions he could not substantiate when challenged by media. Baraiya also made an alarming claim that “a man cannot rape a woman without her consent,” even in cases involving infants and minors, implying that sexual violence occurs because of a pre-existing distorted belief system.

The timing of the remarks has heightened the controversy: senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was visiting Madhya Pradesh at the time, leading the BJP to intensify its attacks on the party’s national leadership.

Madhya Pradesh BJP media in-charge Ashish Usha Agrawal shared the clip on social media, calling the statements a reflection of a “criminal and perverted mindset” and accusing Congress of hypocrisy over its professed commitment to women’s empowerment. BJP leaders, including state president Hemant Khandelwal, labelled the comments misogynistic and anti-Dalit, questioning whether they represent broader party thinking.

The Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Mohan Yadav, strongly condemned Baraiya’s statements, describing them as spreading social hatred and calling for his immediate expulsion from the Congress.

Yadav specifically urged Congress leadership, including Rahul Gandhi, to take swift action to demonstrate respect for all sections of society. Opposition leaders across parties have joined the chorus, emphasising that rape is a heinous crime that should never be trivialised or justified in any context.

Congress Distances Itself, Groups Protest

Faced with mounting criticism, Congress state president Jitu Patwari made an explicit statement distancing the party from Baraiya’s remarks. Patwari said that no rape can be justified in any way, and that anyone who commits rape is a criminal; it cannot be linked to caste or religion.

He also stated that Baraiya has been asked to clarify his comments suggesting political management of the fallout. Patwari’s position attempted to draw a distinction between the views of an individual legislator and the official stance of the party.

Nevertheless, the controversy has not abated. Several social and religious organisations have criticised the remarks as deeply insulting to women and society at large.

The All India Muslim Jamaat’s national president, Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi, denounced the alleged suggestion that Dalit women should be raped and called the comments absurd and ignorant. The All India Brahmin Society (Madhya Pradesh unit) also condemned the statements and demanded accountability from Baraiya and his party.

In a subsequent video posted on social media, Baraiya attempted a partial clarification, stating that the controversial statement was not his own view but a quotation from Hari Mohan Jha, a former philosophy department head in Bihar.

He insisted he included the reference in a “specific context” and that he personally disagreed with the statement though this has done little to quell the broader political backlash. Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan criticised Baraiya’s remarks as inappropriate, underscoring that daughters should not be divided on the basis of caste or community and stressing that women are to be respected as embodiments of cultural values.

Gender, Caste and Political Responsibility

The furor over Baraiya’s comments intersects with ongoing national conversations about gender justice, caste discrimination and the role of political leaders in shaping public discourse. India continues to confront the stark reality of sexual violence: data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) shows persistent reporting of rape cases affecting women across caste and class lines, and activists have long highlighted how marginalised women often face additional barriers to justice, including delayed legal processes, social stigma and systemic bias.

Linking sexual violence to appearance or ancient texts not only trivialises the lived experiences of survivors but also diverts attention from structural issues such as inadequate law enforcement, lack of sensitisation in communities and the urgent need for comprehensive education on consent.

Critics argue that Baraiya’s remarks echo centuries-old patriarchal myths where women’s bodies are policed through narratives about beauty, morality and victim-blaming mechanisms that have historically minimised accountability for perpetrators.

In this context, the backlash is not merely political theatre but reflects deeper frustrations with how rape and caste violence are discussed in public spaces, and the failure of many leaders to reject harmful stereotypes unequivocally. The debate also exposes lingering gaps in political party cultures, where individual lawmakers’ statements can quickly become interpreted as party positions unless addressed decisively.

The Logical Indian’s Perspective

At The Logical Indian, we believe that the strength of a democracy lies not just in free speech, but in responsible speech. Elected representatives are entrusted with moral authority; their words carry weight and influence. Linking a violent crime like rape to women’s beauty, caste identity or religious scripture not only perpetuates dangerous myths but also shifts blame from perpetrators to victims undermining centuries of struggle by survivors and activists for justice, dignity and equality.

In a diverse society like India, where caste and gender inequalities remain deep-rooted, leaders must elevate discourse that fosters empathy, understanding and factual clarity not regress into narratives that normalise violence or spout misinformation under the guise of tradition.