In a written reply, Maneka Gandhi said that the concept of marital rape is not applicable in India "due to various factors like level of education/ illiteracy, poverty, myriad social customs and values, religious beliefs..." (File photo)
Government today said the concept of marital rape cannot be "suitably applied in the Indian context" due to factors like poverty, illiteracy and religious beliefs.
"It is considered that the concept of marital rape, as understood internationally, cannot be suitably applied in the Indian context due to various factors like level of education/ illiteracy, poverty, myriad social customs and values, religious beliefs, mindset of the society to treat the marriage as a sacrament etc," Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi said in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha.
She was asked whether government plans to criminalise marital rape.
This is not the first time that an NDA minister has made a remark on marital rape.
Last year,
Minister of State for Home, Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary made similar remark when he said that, "the concept of marital rape does not apply in India as marriage is treated as sacred here."
Mr Chaudhary, in a reply to DMK's K Kanimozhi, said: "It is considered that the concept of marital rape, as understood internationally, cannot be suitably applied in the Indian context due to various factors, including level of education, illiteracy, poverty, myriad social customs and values, religious beliefs, mindset of the society to treat marriage as a sacrament."