A member of the Uttar Pradesh Women’s Commission, Meena Kumari, passed a controversial statement that giving cell phone to girls’ is the prime reason which leads to rapes.

Contents hide
1. What did Meena Kumari said?
2. Her comment triggers the citizens and other officials
3. Swati Maliwal’s reaction on Meena Kumari’s controversial statement
4. INC Member Ruchira also slams Meena Kumari for her statement

What did Meena Kumari said?

On Wednesday, 9th June, The women commission member made these remarks during a public hearing of complaints related to women (Mahila Jansunwai) in Aligarh. Her response was to the question raised by a reporter over the increase in sexual assault cases in UP.

She was quoted saying that-

“Girls should not be given mobile phones. Girls talk with boys on phones for hours and later run away with them. Their phones are not even checked, and family members are unaware of these things.”

She also called for round-the-clock policing of young women. She said that-

“I appeal to parents not to give mobile phones to daughters… if they do, phones should be checked regularly. All this (crime against women) is due to negligence by mothers.”

Adding further she says that-

“We, as parents and society, have to put a check on our daughters… always see where they are going, and which boys they are sitting with. We have to check their mobile phones… girls will keep talking on their phone and then they elope.”

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Her comment triggers the citizens and other officials

After her comments triggered and outraged others, she issued a clarification by saying that-

“My statement has been misinterpreted. What I said was that parents should check whether their children are using mobile phones for studies or other purposes. I never said that if girls use phones they will run away with boys.”

UP Women’s Commission member Meena Kumari later said she had been misinterpreted, she then said that-

“My statement has been misinterpreted. What I said was that parents should check whether their children are using mobile phones for studies or other purposes. I never said that if girls use phones they will run away with boys.”

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Check her clarification

Swati Maliwal’s reaction on Meena Kumari’s controversial statement

The Chairperson of the Delhi Commission for Women, Swati Maliwal, shared the video snippets of Meena Kumari’s interview and criticised it.

Swati Maliwal in a tweet said that, “No ma’am, a phone in a girl’s hand is not a reason for rape. The reason for rape is a bad social system that affects the mind-set of criminals. The Prime Minister is requested to sensitive all Women’s Commission members… Send them to the Delhi Commission for one day… to see how we work. We will teach them.”

Check Swati’s tweet here

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INC Member Ruchira also slams Meena Kumari for her statement

Indian National Congress member Ruchira Chaturvedi also slammed Kumari. She tweeted that, “Girls should not be given mobile phones. They talk on phone & later elope for marriage – So after Chowmein, jeans, now mobile phones are responsible for rape.”

Check her tweet here

Meena Kumari’s comment grabs attention months after a member of the National Commission for Women, Chandramukhi Devi, said the gang rape and murder of a 50-year-old woman in Uttar Pradesh’s Budaun could have been avoided if she had not gone out in the evening.