Meena Kumari, a member of the Uttar Pradesh State Women's Commission, was the object of ridicule on Thursday for comments she made at a public hearing in Aligarh on Wednesday.
Meena Kumari was asked at a Mahila Jansunwai (public hearing for women) by a reporter about an alleged rise in incidents of rape in the state. The Times of India reported Kumari had said, "Girls talk on phones and later run away with boys."
She even blamed parents, especially mothers, for carelessness that led to crimes against their daughters.
Kumari sought to defend her comments. She told The Times of India "she meant that minors and girls from villages don’t 'know how to use phones in the right manner'. 'They use phones to make male friends and later run away with them'".
She added smartphones were being used to watch inappropriate content. Kumari, who has been a zila panchayat member twice in Aligarh, claimed, "I listen to grievances of 20 women on average daily and at least five to seven cases are related to friendships over cellphones and their after-effects. In many cases, girls were lured to a certain place and then sexually assaulted."
also read
- Gorakhpur MP Ravi Kishan's wife files complaint against woman who claims to be his spouse
- Insects found in flour used to cook mid-day meal UP school
- New dress code for security personnel at Kashi Vishwanath Temple; SP moves EC
- From 'aata' and data to caste census: What Samajwadi Party's manifesto promises
However, Kumari got little support from the UP Women's Commission for her views. Anju Chaudhary, vice-chairperson of the body, said Kumari's statement was wrong. "Instead of saying that we should not give mobile phones to girls, we should be teaching them not to chat with strangers and educate them on safe use of cellphones,” Chaudhary told The Times of India.
Kumari was criticised for her comments on social media. Ruchira Chaturvedi, national convener of the Congress's social media operations, tweeted, "So after Chowmein, jeans, now mobile phones r responsible for rape..."
