Chhattisgarh Home Minister Nanki Ram Kanwar on Monday blamed the adverse position of "stars" for the rise in crimes against women in India.
"We have no answer to this rising spate of crimes against women. Star are not in position," Kanwar told PTI.
"Harm can come on a person if the stars are in adverse positions...We have no answer to this, only an astrologer can predict," he added.
Kanwar made the controversial comment after Opposition Congress demanded dismal of the ruling BJP government after in the wake of reports pointing to sexual abuse of several minor girls in a government-run residential school.
The girls were reportedly raped by a contractual teacher, Mannu Ram Gota, and school watchman Deenaram. The accused were arrested on Sunday following a complaint on Dec 5. The hostel warden, Babita Markam, and the accused were terminated from service by the district collector.
State Congress chief Nand Kumar Patel slammed Kanwar's statement as childish and vulgar.
Recently, another comment by self-proclaimed godman Asaram Bapu had drawn wide criticism. Asaram Bapu had said the Delhi gang-rape victim was equally responsible for the crime that took place on Dec 16.
He said, "Only 5-6 people are not the culprits. The victim daughter is as guilty as her rapists... She should have called the culprits brothers and begged before them to stop... This could have saved her dignity and life." "Can one hand clap? I don't think so," he added.
Both comments come at a time when the whole nation is demanding the enactment of stringent laws on sex crimes.
