Even if the entire world's police force is put on duty, rapes can probably be prevented only if the gods come down from heaven - this is the assessment of Uttar Pradesh Governor Aziz Qureshi.
His remarks were made in his last interaction with reporters before he is replaced by Ram Naik as the Governor of India's largest state.
Last week, Mulayam Singh Yadav who heads the state's ruling Samajwadi party said, "UP has a population of 21 crores. If there are least amount of rapes in this country, they are in Uttar Pradesh."
That comment came after a young widow was found dead in Lucknow, her body severely battered.
In May, the images of the bodies of two teen girls, hanging from a tree in Badaun in the Western part of the state, made headlines across the world. The families of the teens, who were cousins, say they were gang-raped and hanged alive. The CBI is investigating the case.
Asked about that case, Mulayam Singh's son, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, had snapped at a woman reporter: "You are safe... so why rake up the question?"
(NDTV)