Didn't mean to degrade women: Andhra DGP on clothing remark

Andhra Pradesh Director General of Police V Dinesh Reddy, who landed in a controversy for his remarks linking women's fashionable dresses to increase in rape cases, on Wednesday said he did not mean to degrade women and had only mentioned a "social study".

The state police chief had sparked a controversy on Friday last when he attributed the increase in rape cases to women provoking men by wearing "flimsy and fashionable" clothing. "I had said that provocative fashionable dresses, was perhaps one of the factors (behind increase in rape cases). But I did not say that it was 'the factor'," the DGP told PTI.

The top cop's remarks had earned the wrath of political parties and women organisations, who strongly condemned it. He pointed out that Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit had also said that the "revealing and provocative dresses of women," was a reason for the increase in rape cases in Delhi.

"I replied to a query keeping in mind a social study and Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit's comment, when (I was) asked by mediapersons about the reason for increase in the number of rape cases in the state," Reddy said.

The DGP said keeping these two things in mind, he had said that provoking fashionable dresses is perhaps one of the reasons for the increase in rape cases. Blaming the media for "creating" a controversy, he said, "Selfish interests, indulging in this type of twisting things and blowing them out of proportion, would not be good for the society."

"How can it be justified and how can it be ethical on the part of the journalists' community," the DGP asked. "In fact, raising such issues and projecting some items is an insult to women also and they (media) are doing injustice to society," he said.

While the comment of the DGP was vehemently condemned by women activists, two senior women Indian Police Service officers, who were present at the annual press conference organised to apprise the activities of police during 2011, issued a joint statement in support of the DGP charging that the media twisted the DGP's statement and blew it out of proportion.

Two Senior IPS officers -- Tejdeep Kaur Menon (additional DGP, Training) and A R Anuradha (IGP, law and order) said, "We are pained and deeply hurt over the twisting of the DGP's statement and blowing it out of proportion and context by a section of the media. What all our DGP stated was to a pointed query about increase in rapes. We strongly condemn such motivated and selfish attempts to sensationalise the statement of the DGP, who was known for championing the cause of women," they said in the statement.