British home secretary under fire for making joke about date rape drug
London, Dec 24: British Home Secretary James Cleverly was under fire Sunday for joking about date rape just hours after announcing plans to crack down on what he had dubbed a "perverse" offence.
Cleverly, who oversees national security and law enforcement in England and Wales, faced a call to step down after he reportedly joked at an event at the prime minister's home about drugging his wife.
He told women guests at a Dec 18 reception that the secret to a long marriage was having a spouse who "is always mildly sedated so she can never realise there are better men out there," the Sunday Mirror newspaper reported.
Cleverly said "a little bit of Rohypnol" the so-called date rape drug "in her drink every night" was "not really illegal if it's only a little bit".
The drug, colloquially known as a roofie when it is crushed and put into someone's beverage without their knowledge, makes the subject drowsy and can lead to unconsciousness and memory loss.
Cleverly apologised through a spokesperson for what he called an "ironic joke" after he had announced the Conservative government planned to update legislation to make clear that such drink spiking is illegal. He described the practice as a "perverse" crime.
The comments were made during a drinks reception at 10 Downing Street where political journalists mingled with political aides, ministers and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
Conversations at such events are typically off the record, but the Sunday Mirror said it decided to report the news because of Cleverly's position and the subject matter.
"In what was always understood as a private conversation, James, the home secretary tackling spiking, made what was clearly meant to be an ironic joke for which he apologizes," his spokesperson said.
Jemima Olchawski, chief executive of the women's rights group the Fawcett Society said the remarks were "sickening," and she called on Cleverly to resign.
"How can we trust him to seriously address violence against women and girls?" Olchawski said in a statement. "It's sickening that the senior minister in charge of keeping women safe thinks that something as terrifying as drugging women is a laughing matter."
Cleverly, 54, who met his wife in college and has two children, previously described tackling violence against women and girls as a personal priority.
Senior members of the opposition Labour Party condemned the "appalling" comments.
"It is truly unbelievable that the home secretary made such appalling jokes on the very same day the government announced new policy on spiking," Yvette Cooper, a Labour member of Parliament, said. "Victims will understandably be questioning if they can trust him to take this vile crime seriously."
The government has pledged to clarify that drink spiking is a crime while stopping short of making it a specific offence.
Police in England and Wales receive an average of 561 reports of spiking a month, mainly by women who report incidents at bars and nightclubs, according to a Home Office report.
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Noida airport to begin ops next month with IndiGo flights to Lucknow, Bengaluru
Noida (PTI): IndiGo on Thursday announced that it will start commercial flight operations from the Noida International Airport in Jewar from June 15, becoming the launch carrier for the greenfield airport in western Uttar Pradesh.
The first day flights will be to and fro Lucknow and Bengaluru, the airline said in a statement.
Noida International Airport was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 28.
IndiGo said it will be the first carrier to start commercial services from the airport, the third in the National Capital Region (NCR).
According to the airline, inaugural flights on June 15 will operate on the Lucknow-Noida-Bengaluru-Noida-Lucknow sector.
As per the announced schedule, flight 6E 2278 will depart from Lucknow at 7.05 am and arrive in Noida at 8.05 am before departing for Bengaluru at 8.35 am and landing there at 11.05 am.
The return flight, 6E 2279, will leave Bengaluru at 3.45 pm and reach Noida at 6.20 pm before departing for Lucknow at 6.55 pm and arriving there at 8 pm.
IndiGo said it will gradually introduce direct flights connecting Noida International Airport to more than 16 destinations across the country, including metro cities such as Bengaluru and Hyderabad, besides tier-2 and tier-3 cities like Amritsar, Chandigarh, Dharamsala, Jaipur, Lucknow, Navi Mumbai, Pantnagar and Srinagar.
The airline said bookings for the flights are being opened in phases through its website, mobile application and authorised travel partners.
Aloke Singh, Chief Strategy Officer of IndiGo, said the airline was pleased to announce the launch of operations from Noida International Airport.
"Strategically positioned on the Yamuna Expressway, Noida International Airport will be the new gateway for western Uttar Pradesh alongside the NCR. As we continue to expand our operations, we remain committed to delivering affordable, on-time and hassle-free travel experiences," Singh said.
IndiGo said the airport is expected to emerge as a major domestic aviation hub and will strengthen connectivity between Delhi-NCR and western Uttar Pradesh through integrated road and rail infrastructure.
