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Union minister Uma Bharti said she had ordered public torture of "rapists" during her tenure as Madhya Pradesh chief minister, at an election rally on Feb 10.(PTI File Photo)
Fact check: MP reported highest number of rapes in Uma Bharti's tenure as CM
At a rally in Agra on Thursday, Bharti attacked the Uttar Pradesh government for not blocking bail to men suspected of raping two women off a national highway in Bulandshahr last year – a crime that shook the country.
By Punya Priya Mitra | Hindustan Times, Bhopal
UPDATED ON FEB 12, 2017 07:43 AM IST
Madhya Pradesh reported the highest number of rapes in India during Uma Bharti's tenure as chief minister, indicating the BJP leader's supposed diktat of public torture of "rapists" didn't curb actual crimes against women.
Difference between words and reality
Uma Bharti was the Madhya Pradesh CM between December 2003 and August 2004.
National Crime Records Bureau show that in 2003, Madhya Pradesh reported the highest number of rapes (2,738) in India.
In crimes against women, MP had came second to Andhra Pradesh , reported 14,547 cases or 10.3% of the total cases.
In 2004, Bharti was CM for eight months, MP again reported the highest number of rapes (2,875) in the country.
The state stood third when it came to the crime rate against women at 23.5%.
In 2005, when Bharti was not the CM, the state reported the highest number of rape cases (2,921) for the third consecutive year.
In her address, Bharti said, "The rapists should be hung upside down and beaten till their skins comes off…salt and chilly should be rubbed on their wounds. That is what I had got done when I was CM."
Bharti – who was Madhya Pradesh CM December 2003 and August 2004 -- added that she let the victims hear the screams of rapists when they were tortured.
But figures from the National Crime Records Bureau show that in 2003, Madhya Pradesh reported the highest number of rapes (2,738) in India.
In cases of molestation, the state reported the highest number (6,848). It also had the highest rate of such crimes – number of crimes weighed by population – of 10.8 as compared to the national average of 3.1.
In crimes against women, Madhya Pradesh had dubious distinction of coming second to Andhra Pradesh and reported 14,547 cases or 10.3% of the total cases.
The as crime rate goes, it was 23 per cent, second to Andhra Pradesh that reported 23.6%. Delhi followed with 22.1%.
In 2004, Bharti was chief minister for eight months, Madhya Pradesh again reported the highest number of rapes (2,875) in the country, accounting for 15.8% of the total.
It also topped the molestation list with 6,690 cases, accounting for 19.4% of the cases reported. It reported the highest rate (10.3%) among states as compared to the national average of 3.2%.
The state stood third when it came to the crime rate against women at 23.5%. Only Delhi with 24.1% and Andhra Pradesh at 24% showed higher numbers than Madhya Pradesh.
In 2005, when Bharti was not in power, Madhya Pradesh reported the highest number of rape cases (2,921) for the third consecutive year, accounting for 15.9% of the total cases. In case of molestation, the highest of 18.8% (6,426) of the cases were reported from Madhya Pradesh.
In overall cases of crime against women or crime rate, Madhya Pradesh did not figure in the top two, debunking Bharti's claim that her methods made the state a safer place.
Senior police officials of Madhya Pradesh have consistently maintained that easy registration of cases involving crimes against women, when compared to other states, is one of the main reasons for the less-than-flattering figures.