Under pressure from the opposition over the gang rape of two minor girls on a beach, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant is facing flak for remarking in the state Assembly that parents need to introspect on why their children were on the beach late at night.
"When 14-year-olds stay on the beach the whole night, the parents need to introspect. Just because children don't listen, we cannot put the responsibility on the government and police," Sawant had said on Wednesday, during a debate on a calling attention notice in the House.
Sawant, who also holds the home portfolio, had said parents have a responsibility to ensure the safety of their children and hinted that they should not let their children, particularly minors, out at night.
"We directly blame police, but I want to point out that of the 10 youth who went to the beach for a party, four stayed on the beach the whole night and the remaining six went home," Sawant had said in the House.
"They were on the beach the whole night, two boys and two girls," said Sawant. Teens, particularly minors, should not be spending the nights on beaches," he added.
Four men, one of them a government employee (a driver with the agriculture department), posed as policemen and raped the two girls after beating up the boys who were with the girls on Benaulim beach, around 30 km south of Goa's capital, on Sunday.
All the four accused have been arrested, Sawant told the Assembly.
Sawant's remarks have earned flak from people across the country. Social media is abuzz with posts condemning Sawant and his words.
Here's what people are saying. Have a look.
With inputs from PTI.
