One man can’t rape a woman…It takes two hands to clap: Congress leader stokes row

KOPPAL: Senior Congress leader and former MLA Amaregouda Bayyapur has stirred a controversy by suggesting that it takes two hands to clap when the brother-in-law of a woman, who had allegedly been raped by a Congress leader, contacted her for help.

The victim shows her injury marks; (right) the alleged accused.

A woman from Kushtagi taluk had lodged a complaint alleging that Congress leader Sanganagouda had raped her while she was at work in a field. The family alleges that the police have been dilly-dallying despite pleas to the district SP and former MLA.

During a phone conversation, the former MLA can be heard suggesting that rape is not possible by one person and that it takes two hands to clap. “How can one person commit rape? Is it possible to clap with one hand? This is a sensitive issue and a question of the woman’s honour”, Amaregouda Bayyapur can be heard saying.

“Let is do whatever has to be done, but this (rape charge) will spoil relations. If the victim goes to her parental place, women may question may question how she got raped. There should be no lies. If there is any truth, let it come out. You bring a strong man and I will send a woman. You tell him to rape her and we will see if he can do it. You will only lose respect and nothing will come out of it. If rape has to be committed, there should be 3-4 people. It’s not possible for one man to rape one woman”, the senior Congress leader is heard saying during the telephonic conversation.

When the woman’s relative says that it will look like they lied, Bayyapur says, “I cannot argue on your behalf. All this should not be done. It’s tantamount to losing the reputation of the household. What will you get out of all this? At the most, he (rape accused) may go to jail. He has helped you financially earlier. Is it right to do all this”?