Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi
The government remains unconvinced about criminalising marital rape as Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi told Rajya Sabha Thursday that a country like India is not ready for the change due to factors like poverty, illiteracy and religious beliefs.
Most Read 1Govinda started ‘rona-dhona’ about Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, ‘ab ghar pe baitha hua hai’: Pahlaj Nihalani on torrid relationship with actor 2Asian Games 2023 Live Updates, Day 11: Satwik-Chirag in action, Lovlina Borgohain in action soon in final; archery gold for Jyothi-Ojas 3Show Rs 50,000-crore investment or apologise to Punjabis: Sukhbir Badal 4Jawan box office collection day 26: Shah Rukh Khan’s blockbuster refuses to slow down, nears Rs 1100 crore worldwide gross 5Here’s state-wise list of fake universities
“It is considered that the concept of marital rape, as understood internationally, cannot be suitably applied in the Indian context due to various factors like level of education/illiteracy, poverty, myriad social customs and values, religious beliefs, mindset of the society to treat the marriage as a sacrament, etc.,” she said in a written reply in the Upper House in response to a question on whether the government plans to criminalise marital rape.
The government’s stand on marital rape hasn’t changed even though a recent report submitted by amicus curiae Indira Jaising to the Supreme Court had called for criminalising the offence. The report had recommended that exception 2 of Section 375 of the IPC, as per which any form of intercourse by a man with his wife, who is not under 15 years of age, is not rape, must be done away with. It also recommended that any case of forced anal penetration by a man with his wife should not be registered under Section 377, which deals with unnatural sex. It recommended that such cases be registered under Section 375 “in view of the expanded definition of rape”.
[related-post]
Also ReadUnion Budget 2023 income tax slabs: New tax regime is default, rebate inc…Budget 2023: 44% hike in outlay for procuring fuel, ammo, spares; overall…Budget Session 2023 Highlights: Ruckus in Parliament for second day in ro…Union Budget 2023-24: Education outlay hiked 8%, PM-Poshan gets 13% more
NDA’s predecessor UPA government had also shied away from including marital rape as a criminal offence in the new anti-rape law even though the Justice Verma panel had recommended it.