Amid growing calls for criminalisation of marital rape, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday called consent one of most underrated concepts in Indian society.
Tweeting with the hashtag marital rape, Gandhi further said that consent has to be foregrounded to ensure safety for women.
The Centre had on Thursday told the Delhi High Court, which is hearing a batch of petitions on criminalising marital rape, that it was considering a 'constructive approach' to the issue and has sought suggestions from state governments, the Chief Justice of India, MPs and others.
The bench orally observed that the exclusion of 'certain circumstances' from the ambit of rape 'because of inter-party relationship' is problematic and that the marital rape exception could be examined in the light of protection granted to sex workers in rape law.
It remarked that when the rape law grants no exemption in case of forced intercourse with a sex worker who chooses to withdraw consent at a belated stage, why should a wife be 'less empowered'.