LUCKNOW, Aug 19 :  Veteran Uttar Pradesh politician Mulayam Singh Yadav, who has been in trouble in the past for appearing to defend rapists, has made another controversial statement. At a function on Tuesday, he said that many rape cases are made out to be gang-rapes but it is "not practical".
"Often if one person commits rape, four people are named in the complaint. Four people are named for rape, can it be possible? It is not practical. They probably say one was watching...another was there... If there are four brothers, then all four are named," said Yadav, the chief of Uttar Pradesh's ruling Samajwadi Party.
Mulayam Singh also said the Uttar Pradesh government, headed by his son and Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, was criticized most even though it has the least number of rape cases compared to states like Madhra Pradesh, Rajasthan and Delhi.
The comments have been widely condemned.
The BJP's Shazia Ilmi tweeted: "Subtle abetment to rape by Mulayam Singh Yadav. Has he never heard of gang rape?? Deplorable."
Shobha Oza of the Congress said: "Earlier also he has given such statements. Today also he said that gang rape is not possible. This kind of statements encourage the goons who do this."     ?NDTV