Andhra Cong chief: ‘Freedom at midnight not to roam free’

As the outrage over the Delhi gangrape continued, the chief of Andhra Pradesh unit of the Congress on Monday courted controversy over his remark that women should not "roam" the streets in the night just because India got Independence at midnight.

"Do we roam in streets at midnight as we got Independence at midnight? It would have been better if the girl did not travel by a private bus at that time," the AP Congress Committee president Botsa Satyanarayana said here.

However, realising the possible fallout of his remarks, Satyanarayana, who is also the state Transport Minister, convened a press conference and retracted his words. "As a father myself, I only tried to express my anguish," he clarified. "What happened was very unfortunate and I strongly condemn it," he said, referring to the gangrape incident. He expressed his regret for having hurt the feelings of women.

ALSO READ

For AMU students, wearing sherwani no issue

Polls today, Cong pins hope on BSY

Jharkhand debates encounter: Ordinary teen or an extortionist

Make morally relevant films, President tells moviemakers