Agencies/New Delhi

The parents of a student who died after being gang-raped on a moving bus in New Delhi spoke of their anger yesterday after Finance Minister Arun Jaitley referred to the infamous attack as a “small incident”.
Jaitley said at a tourism conference on Thursday that “one small incident of rape in Delhi, advertised the world over, is enough to cost us millions of dollars in terms of lower tourism”.
Speaking to AFP, the 23-year-old victim’s father said that Jaitley’s televised comments had “reopened wounds” over the attack in December 2012 and had left the family deeply upset.
The student’s gang-rape in December 2012 triggered nationwide protests about the levels of sexual violence in India which drew massive international media coverage.
“Whatever he has said is very wrong. I cannot express in words how much it has hurt us,” said the father, who cannot be named for legal reasons.
“He is talking about losses to the treasury. What about the irreparable loss that we have suffered? Does he even have an idea what the family of a rape victim has to undergo each day?”
The victim’s mother said the minister’s remarks had hurt her greatly.
“When they needed votes, they would take my daughter’s name and that such a big incident had happened. But once they got into power, they call it a small thing.”   
Although the word “small” was removed from the copy of the speech published on the government website, Jaitley later expressed regret that his comments had “been construed as insensitive”.  
“I have always been very outspoken on issues related to crimes against women,” Jaitley, who is also India’s defence minister, told reporters.
“There is no question of trivialising any particular incident.”
About 50 members of the youth wing of the main opposition Congress shouted slogans against Jaitley outside the office of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.
His comments also drew widespread condemnation from campaigners.
“No rape is small, each rape is shameful because it violates women’s rights not because it affects tourism,” said women’s rights activist Kavita Krishnan.
Although India did register a slight increase in visitor numbers last year, the level of growth was well down on the two previous years.
Around 7mn foreigners visited India in 2013 - just a quarter of the numbers who travelled to Thailand or Malaysia.
The assault and several similar attacks in Delhi and around the country have helped reinforce the image of India as unsafe for women visitors.
Five men and a teenager lured the physiotherapist and a male friend into an unlicensed bus and repeatedly raped and tortured her. She later died of her injuries.
Four men have been sentenced to death while a fifth suspect committed suicide. The teenager was remanded to a judicial reform centre.
While laws relating to assault on women have since been toughened, the crime also exposed social attitudes in a country where the victim has often ended up being found responsible.