No intention to criminalise marital rape: Govt

New Delhi: The Union government has said that it has no intention to criminalise marital rape in India.

Union Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi said in Parliament in a written reply that it is difficult to apply the concept of marital rape in India.

"It is considered that the concept of marital rape, as understood internationally, cannot be suitably applied in the Indian context due to various factors like level of education/ illiteracy, poverty, myriad social customs and values, religious beliefs, mindset of the society to treat the marriage as a sacrament etc," said Maneka in her reply.