India is known as the rape capital of the world: Rahul

Congress leader and Waynad MP Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said that India is known as the rape capital of the world during his address in Wayanad in Kerala.

"Foreign nations are asking the question -- Why India is unable to look after its daughters and sisters? An Uttar Pradesh MLA of BJP is involved in the rape of a woman and the Prime Minister doesn't say a single word," he said.

Gandhi condemned the BJP-led government at the Centre for the alleged rise in violence across the country, particularly against women.

"You have seen the increase in violence across the country. Lawlessness, atrocities against women. Everyday we read about a girl getting raped and molested. Violence against minority communities and Dalits is also increasing," Gandhi said at the opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) convention here.

"The reason for the increasing lawlessness is the breakdown of the institutional structures. It is because the man who is running the country believes in violence and indiscriminate use of power," Gandhi alleged.

"The world used to look towards India for direction, but now they look at us and say the country does not know how to treat its women," he said.

The remark comes a day after Unnao rape victim, who was set ablaze, died at a hospital in Delhi and the recent incident of a young veterinarian being raped, killed and set ablaze in Hyderabad by four people.

The country's biggest strength used to be its economy, now it was its biggest weakness, the Wayanad MP said adding Prime Minister Narendra Modi does not have a concept of taking this country forward.

Later, Gandhi inaugurated a new department block of psychiatry and de-addiction centre at a hospital here and interacted with 400 newly trained disaster management volunteers at Kalpetta.