Ranjit Sinha, the head of India's Central Bureau of Investigation, was speaking at a panel on illegal betting on Tuesday when his argument took an unexpected turn.
There was no harm in legalizing betting, Sinha argued, because a betting ban is difficult to enforce.
"Above all, do we have the enforcement agencies. It is very easy to say. If you can't enforce it, it's: if you can't prevent rape, enjoy it."
What.
There was an immediate outpouring of rage at Sinha's logic.
Shame on you, Ranjit Sinha, Head of the Central Bureau of Investigation http://t.co/Y7uBVpmSZq ..YOUR JOB is to prevent rape
ActionBreaksSilence
@ActBreakSilence
Shame on you, Ranjit Sinha, Head of the Central Bureau of Investigation http://t.co/Y7uBVpmSZq ..YOUR JOB is to prevent rape
When CBI *chief* #RanjitSinha says 'enjoy rape', is it any wonder men act with impunity and women feel insecure? Despicable.
Shrikant Kalegaonkar
@shrikale
When CBI *chief* #RanjitSinha says 'enjoy rape', is it any wonder men act with impunity and women feel insecure? Despicable.
By trivialising the word '#rape', we endanger all women. Ranjit Sinha should know that. http://t.co/k78lJj5Y8d
Alia Waheed
@AliaWaheed
By trivialising the word '#rape', we endanger all women. Ranjit Sinha should know that.
http://t.co/k78lJj5Y8d
Outrageous 'rape' remarks: Ranjit Sinha joins the insensitive bandwagon - Hindustan Times http://t.co/E6fM9vWdu0
PopularEyes
@PopularEyes
Outrageous 'rape' remarks: Ranjit Sinha joins the insensitive bandwagon - Hindustan Times http://t.co/E6fM9vWdu0
The next day Sinha apologized, saying his words were taken out of context and he regretted the inappropriate analogy. But in his statement he referred to his rape claim as an "idiom," thereby igniting a second wave of controversy.
In this video of yesterday's panel, Sinha does not appear fazed after making the initial rape comparison.
View this video on YouTube
But context included, activists say Sinha's statement is particularly appalling because of his position of power at India's FBI equivalent.
Government statistics estimate that 1 woman is raped every 20 minutes in India.
In 2012, a young Indian woman was gang raped in the back of a moving bus in New Delhi. She later died from wounds sustained in the attack. Her attackers initially went unpunished.
Activists say victim-blaming is part of the problem: The idea that the victim is to blame detracts responsibility from the police and politicians, like Sinha, with the authority to protect and punish.
View this video on YouTube
In this satire that went viral in September, Indian actresses mock the claim that "It's your fault."
Sinha's statement has reignited conversation about how to prevent rape in India and around the world — whether he likes it or not.
Ironically Ranjit Sinha can't prevent trending worldwide, he has to enjoy it!
Matthew
@Interpreter79
Ironically Ranjit Sinha can't prevent trending worldwide, he has to enjoy it!