Live-in relationships  are 'giving rise to crime,' says Indian minister

New Delhi

A Union minister in India has drawn flak for blaming live-in relationship for increasing crimes. He made his remarks in connection with horrific Mehrauli murder which involved a woman in a live-in relationship with a man being brutally murdered and chopped into pieces. Union minister Kaushal Kishore on Thursday (November 17) said that such relationships were "giving rise to crime" and that educated girls should not get into such relationships. 

Kishore, while referring to the Shraddha Walkar murder case, said educated girls are responsible for leaving parents for live-in relationships that lead to crime, and suggested that they should instead go for court marriage.

"It is the responsibility of girls also, as they leave their parents, who have reared them up for years, in one go. Why are they opting for live-in relationships. If they have to do so, there should be proper registration for live-in relationships. If parents are not willing publicly for such relationships, you should have a court marriage and then live together."

"These incidents are happening with all those girls who are well educated and think they are very frank and have the ability to take decisions about their future. Such girls get embroiled in this. The girls should take care as to why they are doing so. Educated girls are responsible as both the father and mother had opposed the relationship. Educated girls should not get into such relationships," he told News18 while referring to the Walkar murder case.

"What is this live-in relationship, this is giving rise to crime and it is a wrong thing and people are facing its consequences," the minister also said.

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Kishore faced criticism from Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi who urged Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to sack Kishore immediately for his "blame-the-women" remark which she described as "heartless and cruel". Kishore is the Union minister of state for housing and urban affairs.

Shiv Sena MP Chaturvedi tweeted, "If @PMOIndia really means what he says about women Shakti then he must sack this Union minister immediately. We the women have had enough of carrying the burden of such patriarchal rubbish in the society."

Chaturvedi took to Twitter to say, "Surprised he didn't say girls are responsible for being born in this nation. Shameless, heartless and cruel, blame-the-woman-for-all problems mentality continues to thrive."