A self-described 'spiritual guru' has sparked outrage in India after saying that the 23-year-old rape victim who died after being assaulted by six men was partly responsible for her own attack.
Asaram Bapu said that Jyoti Singh Pandey, whose fate has drawn the sympathy of the world and been treated as a national tragedy within India, was 'as guilty as her rapists'.
He added that she should have been more friendly to her attackers if she wanted to preserve her own life.
Politicians and web users have reacted with fury to the 71-year-old guru's comments.
Asaram Bapu's controversial intervention in the case comes on the day that five of Jyoti's six alleged attackers appeared in court to face charges of murder, rape and abduction.
A judge ordered that the courtroom should be closed to the public after more than 150 people tried to cram in to a room designed for around 30 during the suspects' initial hearing.
'Only five to six people are not the culprits,' Asaram Bapu said. 'The victim is as guilty as her rapists.
'She should have called the culprits brothers and begged before them to stop.'
He added: 'This could have saved her dignity and life. Can one hand clap? I don't think so.'
Leading political figures were quick to condemn the inflammatory comments, which one opposition politician called 'regrettable, deeply disturbing and painful'.
Sandeep Dikshit, from the ruling Congress party, said, 'Such comments should be condemned as much as possible,' while his colleague Rashid Alvi added that religious figures should 'give serious thought' before commenting on public affairs.
Nearly 100 activists of Bharatiya Samajik Sena, an organisation claiming to fight social evils, today protested here against self-styled godman Asaram Bapu's alleged remarks that the Delhi gangrape victim should have addressed the rapists as her "brother".
Condemning Asaram's comments, Bharatiya Samajik Sena president Sanjay Gadhvi told PTI that "we demand that Asaram apologise to the women of the country and urge him to take back his words".
Holding banners and placards reading "Shame on Asaram, Shame on Asaram", protestors burnt his effigies in Jashodanagar area of the city and said they would continue to organise protests across the city and the state if he does not apologise for his comments.
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