Shameful for the country to have leaders like Mulayam Singh Yadav: Raj Thackeray

NASHIK: Training his guns on Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav for questioning capital punishment to the Shakti Mills rape convicts, MNS chief Raj Thackeray has said it is shameful that the country has such political leaders who have no respect for women.

"It is shameful that there are political leaders like Mulayam Singh Yadav in the country. Has he no respect for women?," Thackeray said, addressing a rally at Sinnar, about 30 kms from here last evening. Questioning the death sentence to three men who were convicted of two gang-rapes in Mumbai last week, Mulayam Singh had asked, "Should rape cases be punished with hanging?

"Ladke, ladke hain. Galti ho jati hai (Boys are boys. Mistakes happen sometimes)," he had said in an election rally in Moradabad yesterday. Thackeray said, "I wonder what kind of impact Mulayam Singh's comments must have left on the rape survivor and her family." Thackeray was campaigning for Dr Pradip Pawar, his party's Lok Sabha candidate from Nashik.

Criticising Maharashtra PWD minister and NCP candidate from Nashik Lok Sabha constituency Chhagan Bhujbal, Thackeray appealed to the voters to defeat him in the coming elections.