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Karnataka Home Minister KJ George In Trouble For Saying Two Men Raping A Woman Isn't Gang-Rape

Karnataka Home Minister Tries To Define What 'Gangrape' Is, Lands In Soup

The Home Minister of Karnataka, KJ George, has landed in trouble for attempting to define what gang-rape is, his comment slammed by women's groups who claim the politician has dishonoured the women who have been subjected to sexual violence.

#BREAKING According to Karnataka Home Minister, 2 men raping is not a gangrape, 4-5 people are needed for gangrape #ChangeTheMindset

— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) October 9, 2015

George had tried to reason that it needed four to five men to gangrape a women.

"How is it a gang-rape if two people rape? Shouldn't there be at least three or four people for it to be called gang rape?" George said while responding to the alleged sexual assault of a BPO employee by two men in a tempo traveller. Police have so far arrested two suspects in the case — the driver and cleaner of the vehicle — for allegedly raping the 22-year-old woman.

Women journalists on Twitter voiced their outrage over the bizarre comment.

Karnataka home minister doesn't think 2 men raping is gang rape : THE pumpkin of the day

— pallavi ghosh (@pallavighcnnibn) October 9, 2015

Award for being an idiot today goes to.. Karnataka Home Minister thinks two men raping isn't 'gang rape', needs more http://t.co/NVDDdEAaY1

— Dhanya Rajendran (@dhanyarajendran) October 8, 2015

The National Commission for Women (NCW) on Friday said it would send a notice to George for his remark. NCW chief Lalitha Kumaramangalam said George is another example of a person who comments on violence over women without much over it.

"He doesn't even know what rape means and that is why he has commented like this," Kumaramangalam said. "We will send him a suo moto (notice), let us see how he responds," she added.

On Friday, George tried to justify his remark, sort of.

"Media has to condemn the person who has committed the crime. I was referring to public perception," he told reporters.

This is not the first time that George has courted controversy over his remarks on serious crimes against women. In 2014, he came under attack for saying the media highlighted only sexual assault cases for TRP.

"What has happened to the media is you want only such news, you are showing only such news to increase your TRP. Show good news, it will be good," he had said, leading to a public outcry.

The highlighting of sexual assault cases in the media has often led to speedier justice and brought the focus back on the need to increase security for women and have systems in place that protects underage victims. It has also encouraged women to report crimes which would earlier go unreported due to fear of social stigma.

(With inputs from agencies)

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This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.