Bhopal, Jan 17 : Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday condemned the derogatory remarks made by Madhya Pradesh Congress MLA Phool Singh Baraiya, calling them "disgraceful" and "painful".

The controversy erupted after Baraiya, in a media interview, made statements linking the crime of rape to caste and religious interpretations.

Referring to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes (OBC), Baraiya said that women from these communities are "not beautiful" but still are disproportionately targeted due to what he described as a "distorted belief system" rooted in ancient texts.

Reacting to this, Chouhan told reporters, "Daughters are like goddesses. We cannot see daughters being divided along caste and societal lines. In our tradition, it is said that if there is any form of Maa Durga, Lakshmi, or Saraswati, it is our daughters."

"Therefore, whether it is a leader or any other person, they cannot divide the daughters of this country into any caste or community. How much will you divide the society? He should not have made such disgraceful statements. It is personally very painful for me," he said

"Just a few days ago, a very tragic incident happened with a girl from our region. There is outrage in society when such incidents occur, but after some time, people forget about it. Today, we are allotting Rs 10 lakh for that girl, and later, when she turns 18, she will get that money so that she can get a better education. Daughters are for worshipping, not to make such statements about," Chouhan added.

Baraiya had also cited a book, 'Rudrayamal Tantra', claiming that perpetrators believe sexual violence against women of certain castes would earn them "merit equivalent to undertaking several pilgrimages".

"Who are the most victims of rape in India? Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and OBCs. The theory of rape is that if a man, regardless of his mental state, is walking down the road and sees a beautiful girl, it can distract his mind and make him rape a woman," Baraiya said in the interview.

"It is written that by having intercourse with a woman of this caste, you will get the reward of a pilgrimage. Now, if he can't go on a pilgrimage, then what is the alternative? Have intercourse at home, and you will be rewarded," he said.

"He will try to rape her by grabbing her in the dark or light. A man cannot rape a woman without her consent. That's why four-month-old and one-year-old girls are raped. He does it for a reward," Baraiya added, remarks that have since sparked outrage across political lines.

/IANS