Beautiful girl can distract a man: Congress MLA’s bizarre rape theory sparks row

Mangalore Today News Network

MP, January 17, 2026: Congress MLA Phool Singh Baraiya from Bhander in Madhya Pradesh sparked a massive controversy after he claimed that most rapes in India occur in the Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Other Backward Classes (OBC) communities.

He further went on to explain his rape theory behind the statement and stated that if a person sees an “extremely beautiful woman" while travelling, their mind may get distracted, leading to rape.

Referring to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes (OBC) communities, the Congress MLA suggested that women belonging to the backward section of society are targeted due to what he described as a “distorted belief system" rooted in their ancient texts.

Baraiya claimed that perpetrators believe sexual violence against women of certain castes would bring them spiritual merit equivalent to a pilgrimage.

“Who are the victims of rape in India? Mostly women belonging to the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes, and the 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, he can get distracted and rape a woman," the Congress MLA from Bhander said.

Baraiya further went on to say that women belonging to backward communities are not even beautiful, but still get raped because it is written in their scriptures.

The Bhander MLA further claimed that rape is often committed by groups rather than individuals and shockingly referred to cases involving infants, asserting that such crimes stem from a “mindset" fuelled by the beliefs written in religious texts of Dalits.

Congress Distances Itself From Baraiya’s Remark

Following Baraiya’s comments, Madhya Pradesh Congress president Jitu Patwari distanced the party from the remarks, stating, “No rape can be justified in any way. Anyone who commits rape is a criminal. It cannot be linked to caste or religion."

He emphasised that sexual violence is a grave crime and that any attempt to rationalise it is unacceptable.

BJP Attacks

The BJP hit out at the Congress MLA following his remarks and termed the statement a reflection of a “criminal and perverted mindset." Madhya Pradesh BJP media in-charge Ashish Agarwal said the remarks were not a slip of the tongue but a serious ideological exposure.

“Weighing women on the scale of ‘beauty’ and describing heinous crimes against Dalit and tribal women as a so-called sacred act is misogyny, anti-Dalit thinking and a direct assault on humanity," he said.