Madhya Pradesh Congress MLA Phool Singh Baraiya has come under fire following his comments linking the rape of women from the Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Other Backward Caste (OBC) groups to religious scriptures.
Baraiya made the remarks in an interview, where he explained his “theory” of why women are raped.
“Who are the biggest victims of rape in India? Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and OBCs. The theory of rape is that if a man, regardless of his mental condition, is walking on the road and sees a beautiful woman, his mind can get disturbed and he may commit rape,” Baraiya said.
Baraiya explained that women from these communities were raped because of religious scriptures that he claimed to have read, which promise religious merit to those who establish sexual relations with women from the three communities.
“Among Adivasis, SCs and STs, are these extremely beautiful women? Why does rape occur? Such instructions are written in their religious scriptures. It is written that if a person engages in sexual relations with women of a particular caste, he will receive religious merit. Now, if he cannot go on pilgrimage, what alternative is suggested? It is said that if you engage in sexual relations with their women, you will receive the same merit. So, what will such a person do? He will try to catch them in the dark,” he said.
Baraiya claimed that a “man cannot commit rape”.
“That is why rape happens even with a four-month-old baby. He believes that if he rapes a woman of a particular caste, he will receive that religious merit,” Baraiya said.
As the video was circulated widely, Baraiya issued a clarification: “The video has been shot in a way that it shows that the statements reflect my thinking and I am saying this. I wanted to raise the issue that since Independence, rape has not gone down in the country. I have not said anything against women, and I stand with them.”
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The ruling linked them to the Congress’s mindset. Union Minister and former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said, “For me, daughters are like goddesses. We cannot view daughters by dividing them on the basis of caste or society. In our tradition, it has always been believed that the forms of Goddess Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati are reflected in our daughters. How much more will you divide society? Will you now divide daughters as well? Such indecent remarks should never be made. This is personally very painful for me.”
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said: “Congress leaders, especially senior leader Rahul Gandhi, are coming here. I expect Rahul Gandhi to suspend Congress MLA Phool Singh Baraiya, who has made statements that poison society, and expel him from the party so that it is clear the Congress also respects other sections of society. I strongly condemn Baraiya’s statement.”
BJP state president Hemant Khandelwal also condemned the remarks, saying they “expose the Congress party’s anti-women and insensitive mindset”.
Congress state president Jitu Patwari distanced himself from Baraiya’s comments, calling them his personal opinion.
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“An offender who commits rape against women has no caste or religion. He is only a criminal and should be given the strictest punishment under the law,” he said. Patwari also said Baraiya has been asked to explain his remarks.
Anand Mohan J is an award-winning Senior Correspondent for The Indian Express, currently leading the bureau’s coverage of Madhya Pradesh. With a career spanning over eight years, he has established himself as a trusted voice at the intersection of law, internal security, and public policy.
Based in Bhopal, Anand is widely recognized for his authoritative reporting on Maoist insurgency in Central India. In late 2025, he provided exclusive, ground-level coverage of the historic surrender of the final Maoist cadres in Madhya Pradesh, detailing the backchannel negotiations and the "vacuum of command" that led to the state being declared Maoist-free.
Expertise and Reporting Beats
Anand’s investigative work is characterized by a "Journalism of Courage" approach, holding institutions accountable through deep-dive analysis of several key sectors:
National Security & Counter-Insurgency: He is a primary chronicler of the decline of Naxalism in the Central Indian corridor, documenting the tactical shifts of security forces and the rehabilitation of surrendered cadres.
Judiciary & Legal Accountability: Drawing on over four years of experience covering Delhi’s trial courts and the Madhya Pradesh High Court, Anand deconstructs complex legal rulings. He has exposed critical institutional lapses, including custodial safety violations and the misuse of the National Security Act (NSA).
Wildlife Conservation (Project Cheetah): Anand is a leading reporter on Project Cheetah at Kuno National Park. He has provided extensive coverage of the biological and administrative hurdles of rewilding Namibian and South African cheetahs, as well as high-profile cases of wildlife trafficking.
Public Health & Social Safety: His recent investigative work has uncovered systemic negligence in public services, such as contaminated blood transfusions causing HIV infections in thalassemia patients and the human cost of the fertilizer crisis affecting rural farmers.
Professional Background
Tenure: Joined The Indian Express in 2017.
Locations: Transitioned from the high-pressure Delhi City beat (covering courts, police, and labor issues) to his current role as a regional lead in Madhya Pradesh.
Notable Investigations: * Exposed the "digital arrest" scams targeting entrepreneurs.
Investigated the Bandhavgarh elephant deaths and the impact of kodo millet fungus on local wildlife.
Documented the transition of power and welfare schemes (like Ladli Behna) in Madhya Pradesh governance.
Digital & Professional Presence
Author Profile: Anand Mohan J at Indian Express
Twitter handle: @mohanreports ... Read More
