Shraddha Walkar murder: Live-in relationships trigger crime, says Union minister
What's the story
In the aftermath of Shraddha Walkar's horrific murder in Delhi, a Union minister in the Bharatiya Janata Party-led (BJP) central government, Kaushal Kishore, has blamed girls for the crime.
He claimed "educated girls" who opt for live-in relationships, leaving their families, are "responsible" for such crimes.
Kishore's remarks have drawn severe criticism from different quarters while Shiv Sena leader Priyanka Chaturvedi demanded his sacking.
Context
Why does this story matter?
Walkar's gruesome murder shook the nation as her live-in partner Aftab Ameen Poonawalla confessed to strangling her, chopping her body into 35 pieces, and disposing of it across Delhi.
The statement of Union Minister of State for the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs Kishore has infuriated many as they see it as "furthering the patriarchal mindset" in the largely male-dominant Indian society.
Victim blaming
What did the minister say about the case?
On Walkar's murder, Kishore said, "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."
He added girls should think of why they're getting into such relationships.
Seemingly blaming Walkar, he suggested her parents had refused the relationship, and denounced girls getting involved in live-in relationships.
Against live-in culture
Kishore pitches for registration of live-in relationships
The Union minister further said that if people want to get into live-in relationships, there should be proper registration for the same.
He said that those who want to stay in such relationships should instead get their marriage registered in a court.
"If parents are not willing publicly for such relationships, you should have a court marriage and then live together," he told News18.
Twitter Post
The Union minister blamed girls for such crimes
#BreakingNews | Girls are responsible for leaving parents for live-in relationship: Union minister Kaushal Kishore insults #ShraddhaWalkar
— News18 (@CNNnews18) November 17, 2022
"Educated girls to be blamed"
"Get married first, live-ins encourage crime"@kaidensharmaa | @toyasingh | #Shraddha #Vic pic.twitter.com/zoo5IZBCks
Criticism
Sena MP Chaturvedi denounces Kishore's statement
Expressing outrage over Union minister Kishore's comments, Shiv Sena Member of Parliament (MP) Priyanka Chaturvedi tweeted, "Surprised he didn't say girls are responsible for being born into this nation."
"Shameless, heartless and cruel, blame-the-woman-for-all problems mentality continues to thrive," she posted.
Saying that "women have had enough of carrying the burden," Chaturvedi also urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to sack the Union minister immediately.
Twitter Post
Priyanka Chaturvedi sought Kaushal Kishore's termination
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.
— Priyanka Chaturvedi🇮🇳 (@priyankac19) November 17, 2022
Background
Walkar's horrific murder that saw daylight after 5 months
On Saturday (November 12), the Delhi Police arrested Poonawalla for his live-in partner Shraddha Walkar's murder on May 18.
Walkar and Poonawalla, natives of Maharashtra, reportedly met via a dating app in 2019 while working in Mumbai. They moved to Delhi earlier this year.
Poonawalla, who is under police custody, has said he killed her after a fight over domestic issues between them escalated.
SC opinion
What does Supreme Court say about live-in relationships?
Notably, the Supreme Court has opined adults living together without being officially married cannot be construed as an offense under the country's law.
Live-in relationships have been recognized by the top court in several judgments.
In 2006, in Lata Singh vs State of Uttar Pradesh, the SC held an adult woman was "free to marry anyone she likes or live with anyone she likes."