Giving mobile phones to girls leads to rapes: UP Women's Commission member

In a controversial statement, Meena Kumari, a member of the Uttar Pradesh Women’s Commission on Thursday said that girls should not be given mobile phones as it leads to rapes.

Her comments were in response to a query put forth by a reporter on an alleged rise in incidents of rape in the state during the Mahila Jansunwai (public hearing for women).

“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,” Meena Kumari said.

Further, she went on to blame parents, especially mothers, for carelessness that led to crimes against their daughters.

“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 told TOI

The report further states that Anju Chaudhary, the vice-chairperson of the commission, distanced herself from Kumari’s remarks and said that taking away mobile phones was not a solution to end sexual violence.

Meanwhile, netizens have slammed Kumari for her remarks. Ruchira Chaturvedi, the national convener of the Congress’s social media operations, tweeted, “So after Chowmein, jeans, now mobile phones r responsible for rape…”