Watch Video: "Raping minor is a crime, but rape of married woman is different," says BJP minister

Uttar Pradesh BJP Minister Upendra Tiwari made a controversial statement saying “rape has different nature”. The minister said that if a minor girl is raped then it can be considered a crime but if the same allegation is made by 30-35-year-old women then they can't always be trusted and they are different.

Speaking to ANI, responding to a question of increasing incidents of violence in Uttar Pradesh, the minister said, “Very often 30-35-year-old married women when they fall out of relationship make such allegations of rape. Such charges cannot be taken on face value.”

ANI has tweeted "#WATCH UP Minister Upendra Tiwari: Dekhiye rape ka nature hota hai, ab jaise agar koi nabalig ladki hai uske sath rape hua hai toh usko to hum rape manenge, lekin kahin-kahin pe ye bhi sunne ko aata hai ko ki vivahit mahila hai, umar 30-35 saal hai....uska alag-alag nature hai."

(Rape has a nature, if a minor girl was raped then we can consider it as rape, but in some places we hear about married women, 30-35 years of age, it has different nature.)

The statement has been made at a time when crime against woman is increasing all over the country and especially in Uttar Pradesh.