PM Modi need to pay more attention to women: IMF chief

Washington, April 20

Describing the latest incident of outrageous rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua as "revolting", IMF chief Christine Lagarde on Thursday hoped that the Indian authorities starting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi would pay more attention to it.

Her sharp remarks come in the backdrop of a nationwide outrage over the rape cases in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua and Uttar Pradesh's Unnao.

"What has happened (in India) is just revolting. I would hope that the Indian authorities, starting with Prime Minister Modi pay more attention because it is needed for the women of India," Lagarde said.

"When I was last in Davos after Prime Minister Modi's speech, I did tell him that he had not mentioned the women of India enough. And it's not just a question of talking about them," the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund said.

She quickly clarified that this was her personal position and not that of the IMF.  "By the way this is not an IMF official position. It is my position," she said.

PTI