Congress MLA from Madhya Pradesh, Phool Singh Baraiya, has sparked widespread anger and political backlash after making deeply offensive and disturbing remarks about rape and women from Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes. His comments, made in a video shared on his Facebook page, have been described as shocking, insensitive, and harmful, drawing strong reactions across the political spectrum.

In the video, Baraiya attempted to explain what he called a “theory” of rape. While doing so, he made statements that appeared to justify sexual violence by blaming women and reducing the crime to a reaction triggered by physical appearance. He said, “Rape ki theory yeh hai ki koi bhi dimaag ka aadmi agar raste par jaate hue kisi khoobsurat ladki ko dekh le, to uska mann vichlit ho sakta hai aur rape ho sakta hai” (“The theory of rape is that any man, if he sees a beautiful woman while walking on the road, can get disturbed, and rape can happen”).

The MLA went further and made caste-based remarks that have drawn severe criticism. He questioned the appearance of women from marginalized communities while speaking about rape cases involving them. He said, “Adivasi me kaun si ati sundar stree hai, SC ki kaun si aisi Sundar stree hai, OBC me sundar stree hai? Kyun hota hai balatkaar? Unke dharm granthon me is tarah ke nirdesh diye gye hain.” (“Which Adivasi woman is very beautiful, which SC woman is very beautiful, which OBC woman is beautiful? Why does rape happen? The instructions are given in their scriptures”).

Baraiya also claimed that certain “scriptures” suggest that having sexual relations with women of particular castes brings spiritual rewards. Referring to this belief, he said, “Yeh likha hai ki is jaati ke saath sahvas karne se ye teerth ka phal milega” (“It is written that having intercourse with a person of this caste will give the spiritual reward of this pilgrimage”). He then added, “Fir wo kya krega? Andhere me pakadne ki koshish krega” (“Then what will he do? Try to catch in the dark”).

The Congress MLA repeatedly claimed that rape happens against women from Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and OBCs even though, according to him, they are not beautiful. He again stated, “Adivasi me kaun si ati sundar stree hai, SC ki kaun si aisi Sundar stree hai, OBC me sundar stree hai? Kyun hota hai balatkaar? Unke dharm granthon me is tarah ke nirdesh diye gye hain.” (“Which Adivasi woman is very beautiful, which SC woman is very beautiful, which OBC woman is beautiful? Why does rape happen? The instructions are given in their scriptures”).

According to Baraiya, this line of thinking also explained why rape occurs against small children. However, he simultaneously made another controversial claim by saying that rape cannot happen without consent. He said, “Ek vyakti ek mahila ka kabhi rape nahi kar sakta yadi wo sehmat na ho.” This statement has been widely condemned for ignoring the legal and moral definition of rape and for trivializing the trauma faced by survivors.

BJP Mounts Fierce Attack Over Remarks

The Bharatiya Janata Party reacted sharply to Baraiya’s comments, calling them dangerous and unacceptable. BJP leaders said the remarks were not a mistake or a slip of the tongue but a clear reflection of a deeply flawed mindset. BJP media in-charge Ashish Agarwal said, “This is not a thought, it’s a crime,” and refused to treat the comments lightly. He described the remarks as an open display of a sick and perverted mentality.

Agarwal further said that judging women on the basis of beauty and linking heinous crimes against SC and ST women to caste-based ideas was extremely dangerous. According to him, such thinking clearly shows an anti-women and anti-Dalit mentality that has no place in public life.

Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan also condemned the statement strongly. He said, “For me, daughters are like goddesses. We cannot view daughters by dividing them on the basis of caste or society.” He added, “Such indecent remarks should never be made. This is personally very painful for me.” The BJP has demanded strict action against Phool Singh Baraiya and urged the Congress party to either make him apologize publicly or expel him from the party. The party also said that Congress must clarify whether it stands against or supports such anti-women and anti-Dalit thinking.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav also hit out at Baraiya, saying the MLA was spreading social hatred at a sensitive time when Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was visiting Indore. He said, “I hope Rahul Gandhi expels him from the party so that it will appear that he (Gandhi) has respect for other sections of society. I condemn this statement. Baraiya is an MLA, so he has a responsibility to avoid such remarks.”

BJP Madhya Pradesh media in-charge Ashish Usha Agrawal shared the video on X and demanded Baraiya’s immediate expulsion from the Congress. He said that weighing women on a “scale of beauty” and describing rape against SC and ST women as “teerth phal” reflected a criminal mindset. In his post, he wrote, “Shame! This is a direct attack on women, Dalits and humanity. Today, when Rahul Gandhi is coming to Madhya Pradesh, the country wants to know whether this is the real thinking of the Congress. Is this the hypocrisy of ‘save the Constitution’?”

The controversy has intensified political tensions in the state, with growing calls for accountability and action over remarks that many say insult women, marginalized communities, and basic human values.