Trying to wriggle out of the controversy over his rape statement, Samajwadi Party national president Mulayam Singh Yadav said that his party favours strict action against rapists but is not in favour of death penalty.
Clarifying his statement in a rally in Sambhal he said that the Samajwadi Party respects women but at the same time it advocates that innocent people should not be punished.
“You give the rape accused stringent punishment, but do not push him behind the gallows,” he said here on Friday.
“Several people and organisations also support my views. The SP also raised the issue in the all-party meeting but my statement was shown in a different light by the media. Some TV channels have branded me as villain,” he added.
Yadav was addressing the election meeting to promote his nephew Dharmendra Yadav, who is contesting from Badaun constituency.
The SP president demanded that strict action should also be taken against those who file fake reports of rape.
“Why do girls go scot-free after lodging false cases against of assault or rape.”
Narrating in detail about a wave of change in the society, he said that in the present society, boys and girls are friends and when they part ways, the girl goes to police station and lodges a complain against the boy in spite. However, in such cases what is the boy’s fault. Our law does not protect the innocent boy,’’ he said.
Mulayam further justified his party’s stand against capital punishment for rape accused.
Meanwhile, several organisations and political parties have protested against the statement of Yadav when he advocated leniency against rape accused.
He even said that some times boys make mistakes and for that they should not be given capital punishment.
He further supported Md Azam Khan’s statement saying that whatever he said about Kargil was correct.
Budaun is going to polls on April 17.