Why only women are lectured about traditions, asks Shiv Sena leader post 'ripped jeans' comment

By Ashoke Raj
New Delhi [India], March 18 (ANI): Shiv Sena leader Priyanka Chaturvedi on Thursday expressed her disappointment over Uttarakhand Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat's ripped jeans comment, saying that only women are lectured about traditions, culture and morals and not men.
"The unfortunate part is they (leaders) teach this lesson of traditions, culture and morals only to women. They always say that women wearing a certain type of clothes affect our culture and tradition," Priyanka told ANI.
"Why don't they ask a man to wear a 'dhoti' to protect our culture? Why only to women? It is very unfortunate that leaders, specifically senior leaders, are making these types of statements against women," she added.
The newly appointed Uttarakhand chief minister recently stirred a row by saying that women wearing ripped jeans send a wrong message to society and children.
Speaking at a workshop organised by the Uttarakhand State Commission for Protection of Child Rights in Dehradun, Rawat said that he was shocked to meet a woman, who runs an NGO, wearing ripped jeans on a flight with her kids. "What kind of message are we giving out to society," he said.
Actor-turned-politician Jaya Bachchan has also expressed her disappointment over the issue and said that this is the "mindset that encourages crimes against women".
"Such statements don't befit a chief minister. Those on higher posts must think before making public statements. You say such things in today's times. Will you decide who's cultured and who's not on the basis of clothes? Rajya Sabha MP from Samajwadi Party, Jaya Bachchan told ANI.
"It's a bad mindset and encourages crimes against women," she added.
Amid widespread condemnation of Rawat's comments, several women, including politicians and celebrities, have been posting photos in ripped jeans with the hashtag #RippedJeansTwitter. (ANI)