DHAKA: A lawmaker from Indian prime minister Narendra Modi’s ruling party has described rape as a social crime, saying ‘sometimes it’s right, sometimes it’s wrong’, in the latest controversial remarks by an Indian politician about rape.

The political leaders of Uttar Pradesh, the state where two cousins aged 12 and 14 were raped and hanged last week, have faced criticism for failing to visit the scene and for accusing the media of hyping the story.

A regional politician from Modi’s own party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), said on Thursday that the crime of rape can only be considered to have been committed if it is reported to police.

‘This is a social crime which depends on men and women. Sometimes it’s right, sometimes it’s wrong,’ said Babulal Gaur, the home minister responsible for law and order in the BJP-run central state of Madhya Pradesh.

‘Until there’s a complaint, nothing can happen,’ Gaur told reporters, according to The Straits Times.

BDST: 0644 HRS, JUNE 06, 2014