Azam Khan's remarks silly, childish: BJP

NEW DELHI: BJP today termed UP Minister Azam Khan's remarks that mobile phones were responsible for rapes as "silly" and "childish" and said it is a "cover up" for the failures of Akhilesh Yadav-led government in Uttar Pradesh over increasing incidents of crime.

BJP also said that connecting mobile phones to rapes are an insult to women and acts as a morale booster to criminals indulging in such crimes.

"It is a silly and childish attempt to say that mobile phones are responsible for rapes. It is a cover-up for failures of Akhilesh Yadav government in the state on rising incidents of crime," BJP secretary Shrikant Sharma said.

He said social media has exposed the Samajwadi Party government in Uttar Pradesh on deteriorating law and order and "that is why Azam Khan is saying so to vent out his frustration".

"Connecting mobile phones with rapes is an insult to women as such remarks act as a morale booster to criminals indulging in such heinous crimes," he said.

He added that by doing so Azam Khan is also insulting youth for using mobile phones, as they are becoming aware through its use.

Sharma said that Khan is only taking forward Mulayam Singh Yadav's controversial remarks made on rape.

To highlight the deteriorating law and order situation in the state, he cited examples of 25 police officers involved in rape incidents and as many as 612 incidents where anti-social elements have beaten up cops.

SP leader Azam Khan held mobile phones responsible for rape of minors saying misuse of these gadgets by the younger generation has led to an alarming rise in such cases.

"Two-and-a-half-year olds getting raped, why? It's because of mobile phones. Even in villages people can download things," he said in an apparent reference to the alleged rape of a two-and-a-half-year-old girl in Delhi last week.

"Rape cases have increased due to misuse of mobile phones by the younger generation. They watch dirty films on the mobile phones," he claimed, adding, "These films show objectionable things."