'I See So Many Skimpily Dressed Women...'

On the issue of the Shiv Sena attack on young women and their dress sense leading to rape, the ex-chief minister is a tad circumspect.

Outlook Web Desk

Updated on: 5 February 2022 9:50 pm

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'I See So Many Skimpily Dressed Women...'

Narayan Rane, ex-chief minister and presently leader of the Opposition in the legislative assembly, often has the unenviable task of defending the Shiv Sena's provocative positions on various issues. On the issue of the Sena attack on young women and their dress sense leading to rape, Rane is a tad circumspect. Excerpts from an interview:

Why is the Sena justifying the rape?

We haven't justified it, we condemned the Marine Drive incident. It's shocking that a constable can do it. Do you think anyone can justify rape?

But it took five days for the condemnation, and when it came it was a day after the offensive front-page piece in Saamna.

We waited a day to see what the government was doing and how different agencies were responding to the incident before making any statement. Then followed a long weekend. But I called a media conference and condemned it in the strongest terms possible.

Then how do you explain the front-page article?

See, it's the writer's thoughts, one needn't agree hundred per cent with it. Also, it's not necessarily the party line, it's an editorial line taken by a publication.

ButSaamna is the party mouthpiece, isn't it?

At least, I believe that if we lay blame on the girls we should also lay equal blame on the boys for what's happening. I see so many high-class women dressed skimpily in five-star restaurants, we can't dare say anything about them. If it's a lowering of cultural standards, then the entire society is responsible.

So, the party believes that there is cultural degradation?

There's no dispute on that but it's not something that started yesterday. It's been happening for some years now and we have been raising the issue.

So you believe the ban on dance bars is correct?

I don't condone their existence but we cannot ignore issues like employment related to the bars. But dance bars are not the only corrupting influence. I think the Congress-NCP government has tied itself in knots now, they are focusing on it because they can't address serious issues like energy shortfall, drought etc.