Girls have to take precautions on their own, can't wait for police: Abu Azmi

Mumbai: Samajwadi Party leader Abu Azmi on Wednesday came forward with another sexist comment, putting the onus on girls again for their own safety and security, saying the girls should take precautions in order to save themselves from incidents of molestation and sexual exploitation.

"If my money gets robbed, I won`t keep it at the same place again. I won`t leave it on the police to sort it. Similarly, our daughters will have to take precautions of giving no chance to a person to be molested. This is not an insult, but words of respect," Abu Azmi told ANI.

Justifying his earlier comment regarding the Bengaluru molestation incident stating that "short dresses" were the reason behind it and that "it had to happen," Azmi said he respects women and treats every girl like his own mother and daughter.

"I am being misquoted. Nothing is above mother and mother is a woman. I can even sacrifice my life for daughters. So how can I insult women? Law is not being followed properly in the country. If a girl goes out at 12 in night, she gets kidnapped. Delhi witnessed such a big case of rape (Nirbhaya) which led to national outrage. The provision of hanging the rapist, what Islam talked about 1500 years ago, also came to being but still there seems to be no decrease in the number of crimes related to rape and molestation," he said.

"I am addressing all the women of India as my own mothers and daughters then how can I insult them. The guilty in the Bengaluru molestation incident should be caught and strictly punished," he added.

Holding once again western culture responsible for heinous crimes such as rape and molestation, Azmi said the movies produced these days show obscenity, nudity and vulgarity.

"The movies which show the kind of fashion and scenes, it would not allow any father to watch it with her daughter. The people following the Indian tradition would not be able to watch such naked movies. I have witnessed it myself. When such movies come on television, either my daughters move out of the room or somebody changes the channel," he said.

Expressing his concern for all the girls of the country Azmi said, "I just want my daughters to be safe and not be available to any molester."

Abu Azmi received wide flak over his sexist comment regarding the mass molestation incident.

"In these modern times, the more skin women show, the more they are considered fashionable. If my sister or daughter stays out beyond sunset celebrating December 31 with a man who isn`t their husband or brother, that`s not right," he said.

The National Commission for Women (NCW) issued summons against the minister on Tuesday, the reply of which has to be given within his five days of receiving it.