Divya Spandana slams Smriti Irani's sanitary pad remark
New Delhi : In a strong critique, social media in-charge and Congress leader Divya Spandana slammed Union Minister Smriti Irani for her comment on the Supreme Court verdict in the Sabarimala temple entry case. Irani, in a video gone viral, had said, "I have right to pray,but no right to desecrate. I am nobody to speak on SC verdict as I'm a serving cabinet minister. Would you take sanitary napkins seeped in menstrual blood into a friend's home? No.Why take them into house of God?"
Divya, in her tweet, mocked the Union Minister and said, "Nothing that comes out of the vagina is to be ashamed of. Can’t say the same about the mouth."
Nothing that comes out of the vagina is to be ashamed of. Can’t say the same about the mouth. https://t.co/vAuTrJ9lsr
— Divya Spandana/Ramya (@divyaspandana) October 23, 2018
Irani, responding to the furore over her comments on "menstrual blood" amid the protests against women's entry into the Sabarimala temple, on Tuesday said a propaganda was being launched using her as bait. Interestingly, before she responded to her "comment", the Union minister had claimed that the video was "fake news".
In a series of tweets trying to clarify her comments, Irani said that as a practising Hindu married to a practising Zoroastrian, she is not allowed to enter a fire temple to pray, but she "respects that stand by the Zoroastrian community and priests" and "does not approach any court for the right to pray" as a mother of two Zoroastrian children. Similarly, Parsi or non-Parsi menstruating women, irrespective of age, do not go to a fire temple, she added.
These "two statements are factual" and "the rest of the propaganda and agenda being launched using her as bait is just that", the Union minister said. As far as those who jumped the gun regarding her remark on women visiting a friend's place with a blood-soaked sanitary napkin are concerned, she said she has yet to find a person who "takes" such a sanitary pad to "offer" to anyone, let alone a friend.
Irani added that what "fascinates" her — though she is not surprised — is that as a woman, she is "not free" to have her own point of view. "As long as I conform to the 'liberal' point of view I'm acceptable. How liberal is that?" Irani asked.
Since many people are talking about my comments — let me comment on my comment.
— Smriti Z Irani (@smritiirani) October 23, 2018
As a practising Hindu married to a practising Zoroastrian I am not allowed to enter a fire temple to pray.
I respect that stand by the Zoroastrian community / priests and do not approach any court for a right to pray as a mother of 2 Zoroastrian children. Similarly Parsi or non Parsi menstruating women irrespective of age DO NOT go to a Fire Temple.
— Smriti Z Irani (@smritiirani) October 23, 2018
These are 2 factual statements. Rest of the propaganda / agenda being launched using me as bait is well just that ... bait.
— Smriti Z Irani (@smritiirani) October 23, 2018
But what fascinates me though does not surprise me is that as a woman I am not free to have my own point of view. As long as I conform to the ‘liberal’ point of view I’m acceptable. How Liberal is that ??
— Smriti Z Irani (@smritiirani) October 23, 2018
According to several media reports, the Union textile minister was speaking at the "Young Thinkers" conference organised by the British High Commission and the Observer Research Foundation in Mumbai, when she made the remarks while speaking on the Sabarimala controversy, she had said that "the right to pray did not mean the right to desecrate".
"I am nobody to speak against the Supreme Court verdict as I am a serving Cabinet minister. But just plain common sense is that would you carry a napkin seeped with menstrual blood and walk into a friend's house? You would not. And would you think it is respectful to do the same when you walk into the house of God? That is the difference. I have the right to pray, but no right to desecrate. That is the difference we need to recognise and respect," Irani reportedly said at the event.
However, once reports on her remarks began to be widely shared, she took to Twitter to call it "fake news" and said she would clarify the statement soon.
courtesy : firstpost.com
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RSS needs to increase activism on social media as work expands: Bhagwat
Nagpur (PTI): Social media is widely used, and there is a need for the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh to increase “activism” on such platforms for a good cause, said RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Thursday.
He was speaking at the centenary event of the Marathi newspaper Tarun Bharat in Nagpur.
The RSS chief said that while social media is used extensively by people, it should be utilised for a good cause.
“Memes and reels are already in circulation. Some content is being disseminated through the RSS’ communication department, and our volunteers are also using social media. This will gain acceptance. I won’t call it an expectation, but we will have to increase our activism there,” he said.
Bringing people together and transforming society were both necessary and mutually reinforcing, he said.
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When a committed volunteer is developed, they take up constructive work, which spreads through society and contributes to desired change, said the RSS chief.
Bhagwat said the RSS’s work was expanding and required decentralisation.
As public expectations had grown, there was increasing demand for volunteers across sectors, making smaller units necessary for better efficiency, according to the RSS chief.
He said that the organisation’s expanding work also required periodic interaction with the government and administration, for which a separate coordination mechanism was being created.
A “pradesh-level” unit was being set up to handle such coordination and address hurdles, he added.
