‘Are Dalit women beautiful?’ Madhya Pradesh Congress MLA remarks on rape spark controversy

Bhopal: A controversial remark by Madhya Pradesh Congress MLA Phool Singh Baraiya, in which he linked a woman's appearance to rape and cited religious scriptures to justify sexual crimes, has triggered strong backlash from the BJP.

Baraiya, the MLA from Bhander in Datia district, made the remarks during a media interview. A video clip of his comments surfaced on Saturday and quickly went viral on social media, drawing widespread criticism.

In the video, Baraiya claimed that most rape cases in India involve women from the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes and the Other Backward Classes. He went on to suggest that men may commit rape after being "distracted" by the beauty of a woman, and questioned whether women from tribal, Dalit and OBC communities could be considered "extremely beautiful".

He further claimed that sexual crimes against women from certain castes had been encouraged by some Hindu scriptures, which he said describe such acts as "teerth phal", or the reward of a pilgrimage. When asked to name the scripture that mentioned this, Baraiya failed to give a clear answer.

The MLA also made remarks suggesting that rape could not occur without a woman’s consent, a statement that has drawn sharp condemnation. Reacting to the comments, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said Baraiya's remarks spread social hatred and were particularly disturbing as Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was visiting the state.

"I hope Rahul Gandhi expels him from the party. As an MLA, he has a responsibility to speak responsibly. Such statements are unacceptable," Yadav said.

BJP state media in-charge Ashish Usha Agrawal shared the video on X and demanded Baraiya's immediate expulsion from the Congress. He said linking rape to beauty and describing sexual violence against SC-ST women as "teerth phal" reflected a dangerous mindset.

"This is an attack on women, Dalits and humanity. The country wants to know whether this reflects the Congress party's thinking," Agrawal said, also urging the Congress leadership in the state to respond. So far, there has been no official reaction from the Congress leadership on the issue.