colourChandigarh, Nov 30 (PTI) BJP MP Kirron Kher today saidthat her advice asking women to be cautious if they seesuspicious men in an auto-rickshaw they plan to travel in wasaimed at preventing crimes and she never blamed the victim ina recent case of gang rape.
"It is very unfortunate that my statement was takencompletely out of context and now political colour is beinggiven to the whole thing. As a mother and a woman, I havealways spoken up for women's rights at every platformincluding the parliament," Kher told PTI.
She was asked to comment on the controversy that eruptedafter her remarks on the incident, in which a 22-year-oldwoman was allegedly raped by three men when she was returninghome in an auto-rickshaw here on November 17.
Yesterday, at a press conference, Kher, while referringto the gang rape incident, had said that as a general advice,young girls should be cautious if they notice some men alreadysitting in an auto rickshaw in a suspicious manner and shouldavoid boarding that vehicle.
Some reports and social media users had accused Kher ofblaming the victim for the incident.
As the controversy erupted over her statement, Kher saidthat she strongly believe that women safety is an enduring andcontinuous process in the country.
"..But when I hear of incidents of assault, I feelterribly sad and angry. I only wish that our women be part ofthis enduring process with us, and take the little precautionsthat can ensure their safety in any way.
"As much as I wish their freedom came at no cost, andthat we become a country with no threat of sexual violence, Iwill not politicise the issue of women safety, and I will nottell our girls everywhere is safe. Everywhere should be safe,but it is not - not yet. Stay safe, stay constructive," shesaid in a detailed statement.
Yesterday, my statement about the gang rape inChandigarh, was taken out of context, selectively reported,and gravely politicised - all of which distracted from thereal message I wanted to send out to the girls, she stated.
"So I am putting here, untampered, the things I reallywished to convey. First, Chandigarh has a facility for allwomen who are out late in the night, and cannot find atransport. If a woman finds herself in this position, she candial 100 and a PCR van is sent to pick her up.
"As a woman MP, I am proud that my constituency offersthis reliability to our girls. I did not say it was thevictim's fault that the assault happened to her, I said it isterribly sad what happened to her, and I wish she had availedthe PCR facility instead of getting into an auto rickshaw withthe three men," she said.
I want to mention constructive ways a tragedy like thiscan be avoided in the future, she said.
"Any woman, when she gets into a public transport - acab, or a rickshaw- can just click a photo of the vehicledetails and send it to her loved ones. Make sure the driverknows that your loved ones know the vehicle details.
"We cannot get into people's minds or change theirintentions overnight; but this is what I used to do back inMumbai too," she said.
This is not to say that any kind of harassment is theirfault, she said adding that the alleged rapists had beencaught.
Prime accused Mohd Irfan and two alleged accomplices wereinside the auto rickshaw when the victim had boarded it in therape case that shook Chandigarh. All three accused, hailedfrom UP and were living in Zirakpur, near here, for the pastfew years, were later arrested by the police.
Kher also drew attention to another statement of hersmade regarding another incident of harassment a few monthsago.
In that statement, I said "why is there danger at nightand not during the day? They should tell boys not to go out atnight", she emphasised. PTI SUNADS.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.