Maintain maryada or face music, BJP minister Kailash Vijayvargiya tells women

BHOPAL: After RSS chief Mohanrao Bhagwat's ill-informed observation about rape being an urban phenomenon, a BJP minister in Madhya Pradesh tied himself in knots quoting from the Ramayana, making it two back-to-back bloopers from the saffron camp on violence against women.

Industries minister Kailash Vijayvargiya, speaking to reporters in Indore, said women must keep themselves within the limits of 'maryada' (morality/dignity) or face the music.

"Laxman rekha har vyakti ki khinchi gayee hai. Uss rekha ko koi bhi paar karega to Ravan samney baitha hai, woh Sita haran kar le jayega (everyone must stay within Lakshman rekha. Ravan grabs and takes away those who cross the line just as he kidnapped Sita)."

An enraged leader of the Opposition, Ajay Singh, asked him to define 'maryada' or morality. "Nearly 80% rapes in Madhya Pradesh are committed on women toiling the fields or are daily wage labourers? What maryada (limits of morality) do they cross?"

But an unrepentant Vijayvargiya said he was sorry only for the way the media had distorted his views. He called reporters following a phone call for damage control by senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad from Delhi. Quoting Prasad, the minister said, "He (Prasad) called up to say what I said was sounding good, but the way it is being interpreted in the media was not correct. So clarify your stand."

Last July, Vijayvargiya had made even BJP supporters cringe when he had said "provocative dresses of women (are responsible) for all deviations in society" and demanded girls clothe in a way that earns respect of men.

Vijayvargiya faces keen competition from his colleagues. Recently, another minister, Babulal Gaur, called for dress code for women in line with "Indian culture". "Youth here must follow our value system unlike women in Paris who roam the streets half naked," Gaur said. Incidentally, Gaur was caught on camera slapping a woman priest and then ludicrously denying the incident.

Another senior minister Ram Krishna Kusmane made a bonfire of jeans and T-shirts to liberate girls from "immoral dress preference". He also presided over a function in Damoh last month where a decision to ban jeans was passed. Scion of Dewas royal family and tourism minister Tukojirao Puar was jailed three years ago for assaulting a female election officer.

On demands of resignation from former CM Digvijay Singh, Vijayvargiya said there was no question of this. "Who takes Digvijay Singh seriously?" he asked.

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