Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Brinda Karat on Friday lashed out at Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat for his remark that rapes are rare in ''Bharat'' (rural India) but occur frequently in ''India'', saying this reflects the mentality, which refuses to accept the reality of caste oppression or class driven exploitation of women.

"I have read that statement and it seems to me that Bhagwatji does not know either India or Bharat. And, if he had even cared to just look at the government statistics, he would know that the largest number of rapes actually occur in rural India, on Adivasi and Dalit women, on agriculture women workers, on rural women workers where there is neither any justice nor any access to justice," said Karat.

"And a statement like Mr. Bhagwat has made only gives strength to the criminals. I think this reflects the mentality, which refuses to accept the reality of caste oppression or class driven exploitation of women," she added