With the National Commission for Women (NCW) tightening its noose around P.C. George, the independent MLA from Kerala has withdrawn his obscene comments against the nun who has accused the Jalandhar Bishop Franco Mulakkal of raping her. "I inadvertently used a term against the victim. I'm apologising for the same. Such a term should never be used against a woman. It was an emotional outburst," said P.C. George, the MLA from Poonjar in Kottayam.
George, however, said that he stood by his other statements. He even went on to say that he doesn't consider the rape-victim a nun any more.
On Saturday, George had called the nun a prositute. "No one has doubt that the nun is a prostitute. 12 times she enjoyed it and the 13th time it is rape? Why didn't she complain the first time?" George had asked at a press meet. This had drawn flak from various quarters of the society. He had also triggered a social media campaign #VaaymooduPCGeorge (Shut up, PC George).
Lashing out at the Kerala MLA for using 'abusive language' against the rape victim, NCW chairperson Rekha Sharma had said that such incidents were shameful. The NCW had even summoned George to Delhi to explain his stance. He had retorted to the summons saying he was ready to appear, provided the NCW arranged for his travel. To this, the panel had said that it was willing to pay for the journey but demanded that the MLA gave it in writing that he did not have the economic means to finance the travel.
This was not the first instance where the P.C. George had taken a stand against a victim of a sexual assault case. In the famous actor assault case, too, the MLA had courted controversy by backing actor Dileep, the accused.
(With inputs from Onmanorama)
