NEW DELHI ON DAMAGE CONTROL AS RUSSIA REACTS SHARPLY ON LAWMAKER'S REMARKS AGAINST FOREIGNER RAPE V

NATURAL WITH ENGLISH AND HINDI SPEECH

DURATION: 1.53

SOURCE: ANI/DDI

TV AND WEB RESTRICTIONS: PART NO ACCESS INDIA

New Delhi on damage control as Russia reacts sharply on lawmaker's remarks against foreigner rape victims.

Indian government on damage control mode after Russia reacts on allegedly insensitive remarks of a lawmaker against foreigner rape victims in western tiny state of Goa.

SHOWS:

NEW DELHI, INDIA (DECEMBER 16, 2009) (ANI-ACCESS ALL)

1. EXTERIOR OF INDIA'S PARLIAMENT HOUSE

2. (SOUNDBITE) (English) SOMANAHALLI MALLAIAH KRISHNA, INDIA'S FOREIGN MINISTER, SAYING: "Let me state it very clearly it is the responsibility of the government of India to see that every foreigner is protected in Indian soil. And well even they will have to be very cautious in...with whom they move, with whom they go out. So, I think it is something which we also observe when we go outside the country."

3. (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) SHANTARAM NAIK, A LAWMAKER OF INDIA'S RULING CONGRESS PARTY FROM WESTERN STATE OF GOA, SAYING: "I don't know how they have perceived my statement. I even don't know whether their opinion differs with my suggestion to police to investigate in the case. I have said that it should be investigated so that the guilty could be nabbed."NEW DELHI, INDIA (DECEMBER 15, 2009) (DDI-NO ACCESS INDIA)

4. PROCEEDINGS OF THE RAJYA SABHA, THE UPPER HOUSE OF INDIA'S PARLIAMENT, IN PROGRESS

5. NAIK ADDRESSING THE HOUSESTORY: Indian government came on damage control mode on Wednesday (December 16) after Russia reacted sharply on allegedly insensitive remarks of a lawmaker against foreigner rape victims in western tiny state of Goa.

Shantaram Naik, a lawmaker of federal ruling Congress party from Goa on Tuesday (December 15) raised the incident of recent alleged rape of a Russian national in the tourist state by a politician, in the parliament, saying the issue was blown out of proportion. Naik also said that an alleged rape of a woman who moves with strangers for days together even beyond middle of the night is to be treated on different footing.

The Russian consulate on Wednesday warned the Goa government that if it feels that the Russian citizen was allegedly raped because she was out at odd hours, then it will issue an advisory asking its nationals in tiny state to stay in their hotels after 10 (local time) pm.

Reacting on the issue, Foreign Minister Somanahalli Mallaiah Krishna said that it was the duty of the Indian government to ensure safety of foreign tourists and nationals but they too have to take care.

"Let me state it very clearly it is the responsibility of the government of India to see that every foreigner is protected in Indian soil. And well even they will have to be very cautious in...with whom they move, with whom they go out. So, I think it is something which we also observe when we go outside the country," Krishna told reporters in national capital New Delhi.

Naik too downplayed his remarks.

"I don't know how they have perceived my statement. I even don't know whether their opinion differs with my suggestion to police to investigate in the case. I have said that it should be investigated so that the guilty could be nabbed," he said in New Delhi.

Naik's earlier remarks have drawn flak from activists and lawmakers across the spectrum.

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