Indian minister accused of victim blaming after assault on Australian cricketers

An Indian minister’s comment that two Australian cricketers, who were “inappropriately harassed” last week, had informed authorities before leaving their hotel has sparked a row with many accusing him of blaming the victim.

The incident occurred in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, on Thursday while the players were walking to a cafe. The police said that the man who harassed them was arrested.

The Indian Cricket Board condemned the incident, which sparked a wave of anger worldwide.

But Kailash Vijayvargiya, state minister, sparked controversy by saying that this was a “lesson to the authorities as well as the players” who should have informed security or management before coming out.

Street harassment of women is rampant in India, but Thursday’s incident made headlines because it involved international players visiting the country for a high-profile tournament, the Women’s World Cup.

Cricket Australia said in a statement that the players were “inappropriately approached and touched by a motorcyclist” the morning after Australia’s win over England.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was quick to condemn the harassment, calling it a “very unfortunate and isolated incident”. It also pledged to “review existing safety protocols and enhance them, if necessary, to ensure that such incidents do not occur again.”

Cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar demanded quick punishment for the man who harassed the players. “You lock him up and throw away the keys. This is the only way these criminals should be treated,” he told India Today TV.

But Vijayvargiya, who is in charge of urban development, housing and parliamentary affairs in the BJP government in the state, appears to have put some onus on the players themselves to ensure they remain safe.

“When a player leaves, just like when we go out, we tell a local. Players will also realize that in the future, if we go out, we have to tell security or the local administration,” Vijayvargiya told reporters on Sunday.

He went on to add that players should be careful while going out since they have a large following.

“There is a craze for cricket here, as there is in football in England. I have seen footballers with their clothes torn… so sometimes players don’t realize their popularity. Players are very popular, so they have to be careful when they go out.”

Vijayvargiya’s comments made headlines in India with many accusing him of victim blaming, and the minister was called out for his remarks by opposition politicians, the media and many citizens.

Opposition Congress leader Arun Yadav described his remarks as “disgusting and reactionary” while singer Chinmayi Sripada accused him of blaming the victim.

“BJP Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya here is basically saying that women visiting another city/state should be worried/concerned/thinking about their safety when going out without telling anyone. So this was basically the woman’s fault,” she wrote on X.

“At a time when India’s image has already been damaged by this shameful incident, such victim-blaming comments from a public actor only deepen the embarrassment,” another user wrote.

“Instead of defending the dignity of the city and condemning the perpetrators, the minister chose to lecture the victims, a tone-deaf response unbecoming of his office.”

Vijayvargiya later described the incident as “shameful” and said strict action had been taken, but added that the players had to inform their security officer before going out.

This is not the first time Vijayvargiya has made news for statements that many have interpreted as offensive to women.

A few months ago, he made headlines when he said he didn’t like women who wore short or revealing clothes, and that in the past, he had refused to take photos with them.