Bengaluru, Oct 9 (HT): Karnataka home minister KJ George has joined a growing list of politicians making controversial statements about sexual violence against women, saying a rape involving two men cannot be described as gang-rape.

“How is it a gang-rape if two people rape? Shouldn’t there be at least three or four people for it to be called gang-rape?” George told a television news channel on Wednesday.

George was speaking about the recent rape of a BPO employee in Bengaluru. Police have arrested two men for allegedly raping the 22-year-old woman in a moving mini bus.

This is not the first time George has been in the eye of a storm over his remarks about rape.

Facing heat over an increase in sexual assaults on minor girls in schools, George had last year blamed the media for highlighting “only such news” and projecting Bengaluru as “a rape city” to increase their ratings.

On Thursday, after his statement kicked up a row, George condemned the Bengaluru incident and said rape was a heinous crime irrespective of whether it is committed by a gang or a single person.

Asked by reporters if he would go on patrol with the police to boost the confidence of residents, George said: “The city police are doing their job. If necessary, I can go on patrol around the city but I don’t want to do it for publicity. My eyes are always open to the happenings.”

Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav had said earlier this year that it was not possible for four men to sexually assault a woman.