Rape incidents rising because men and women interact more freely now: Mamata

New Delhi, Oct 16: The maverick Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee has again come up with a bizarre explanation. This time she has taken a very strange stand over increasing incidents of rape in the country. According to Mamata Banerjee, rape cases are increasing primarily because men and women are interacting more freely nowadays. "Earlier if men and women would hold hands, they would get caught by parents and reprimanded but now everything is so open. It's like an open market with open options," she said. Mamata Banerjee's stand is in line with the archaic worldview of Khap panchayats which has got tacit support from some of the Haryana politicians including ministers and opposition leader Om Prakash Chautala. The Trinamool Congress chief lashed out at a section of media for what she called suppressing facts and causing "news pollution" by highlighting a few cases of rape in West Bengal. "Everyday rape incidents are being highlighted as if the entire state has become the land of rapists. Rape is sought to be glorified by these people. This will not be tolerated by people. I would like to say that negative journalism only destroys and it is time to champion positive journalism," Banerjee said. Mamata Banerjee, who was releasing the Puja number of her party organ "Jago Bangla" alleged that a few news channels were targeting her government by dishing out "canards and exaggerated and negative news items" . "Wrong news items and canards are being circulated by a section of the media, particularly some news channels, to target my government. They are even distorting my own version," the Chief Minister said. She alleged that news items were being tailored to serve business interests and that "in some of the media there exist dadagiri and didigiri." The Chief Minister said, her government's achievements were not being highlighted by thes media and alleged these people are bent upon demolishing Bengal's culture. Asserting that she has no lust for power, Mamata said, "I will like to warn those spreading canards against me that it will not pay".