An Indian politician came under fire on Thursday for saying a condom advert starring a well-known porn star would trigger a rise in the number of rapes.
Atul Kumar Anjan, Communist Party of India national secretary, told a rally on Tuesday the adverts featuring Indo-Canadian Sunny Leone should be banned for “developing sexuality and ruining sensibilities”.
“If condom ads like this are shown on Indian television and in newspapers, then rape incidents will rise,” Anjan told the crowd in northern Uttar Pradesh state.
“This must be stopped,” he added.
Women’s groups slammed the comments as ignorant and a backlash against Anjan spiralled on social media in India.
Although the communist party plays a minor role in national politics, the comments fuel concerns of a lack of awareness among politicians on the causes of sexual violence against women.
“Comrade — rape is caused by men’s sense of entitlement and lack of concern for women’s autonomy and consent. Not by pornography, naked women or any other ‘provocation’,” women’s activist Kavita Krishnan posted on her Facebook page.
The fatal gang rape of a student on a moving bus in New Delhi in December 2012 sparked a massive public outcry and led to tougher laws for sexual offenders.
But India’s politicians have also been accused of trivialising such crimes.
A former chief minister of northern Uttar Pradesh state, Mulayam Singh, triggered outrage during the national election last year over comments about rape in which he said “boys make mistakes” and “boys will be boys”.
The central Madhya Pradesh state government’s home minister also said last year that rapes were “sometimes right, sometimes wrong”.
Several politicians have also sought to blame tight jeans, short skirts and other Western influences for the country’s rise in incidents of sexual violence.
