In controversial remarks, DGP Dinesh Reddy said on Friday that fashionable and provoking dresses worn by women are responsible for the increase in rape cases.

In response to queries from journalists at a press meet in Hyderabad on the reasons for the abnormal increase in rapes and murders in the state, Dinesh reddy said ladies used to wear traditional dresses in the past but now even in rural areas they are wearing fashionable dresses and this was one of the main reasons for the abnormal increase in the rape cases.

The DGP said that the police can control faction crimes and murders by rowdy elements but not family disputes and sexual jealousy murders.

Going further, Dinesh reddy said that they would have receptionists, preferably women, with colorful dresses to receive people at police stations to have an attractive ambience around.

Dinesh attracts criticism

Within hours of the statement made by Dinesh reddy, Union Home Minister Chidambaram, women’s rights activists and former police officers castigated the stance of the DGP for his controversial remarks.

Chidambaram reacted strongly saying women have a right to wear the dresses they like as long as they observe the etiquette for the occasion, place and context. “Women can’t go fully clothed to play a football match or tennis game. Obviously, they don’t wear a swimsuit to attend a cocktail party,” he said in a statement in a scathing objection to the remarks.

Chidambaram further said that there can’t be policing by any one on dresses women wear and certainly not by a DGP of police.
Actress Shradda Das called DGP’s the statement silly and said the real problem lies with men. “Fashion, Bollywood or Tollywood can’t be blamed for the increasing rapes,” she said in a statement and asked the police to provide more security to women.

Former DGP MV Krishna Rao said the mind of a rapist can’t be known by any one. Reasons for rape differ from case to case and there could be normally several reasons, he said.

Kiran Bedi, who was known as one of the best police officers of the country during her service, said pubic functionaries should keep their personal views very much personal and not go public with such views.
Union HRD minister Purandhareswari, quoting Mahatma Gandhi, called the DGP’s remarks unfortunate and said if women can’t walk with honour and dignity, it can’t be a democracy. (JUBS)