Rapes happen all over India: Sushilkumar Shinde

Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde drew criticism in April 2013 after saying that rapes happen in every state and that Delhi, being a large city, sees more such cases.

"Rapes happen in all the states. In Delhi, since it is such a big city, the number of cases is more," Shinde said, speaking after the rape of a five-year-old girl in East Delhi.

He added that Delhi Police was taking steps to strengthen policing and that he had asked the police commissioner to act against lapses. "As far as maintenance of law and order in Delhi is concerned, all possible steps are being taken," he said.

Opposition parties accused the government of being insensitive, arguing that the remark minimized the gravity of crimes against women. The comments came amid street protests over the child rape case and just months after the December 2012 Delhi gang rape had put the government's record on women's safety under intense scrutiny.