Mainpuri:
A minister in the Akhilesh Yadav-led government in Uttar Pradesh has said that "rapes happen with the mutual consent of boys and girls".
On Saturday, Totaram Yadav, when asked if rape incidents in the state could be controlled, said, "What is rape? There is nothing as such. Rapes happen with the mutual consent of boys and girls."
The senior Samajwadi Party leader also sought to classify rapes into two types - "one which is forced and another that happens with mutual consent."
Mr Yadav made the remarks while speaking to reporters after inspecting a district jail. He, however, refused to elaborate on his controversial comments.
Lat year, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav had sparked outrage with his comments questioning the death sentence handed out to three men who were convicted of two gang-rapes in Mumbai.
"Should rape cases be punished with hanging? They are boys, they make mistakes," the SP chief had said.