Union textiles minister Smriti Irani on Tuesday stood by her statements, claiming that it was propaganda targetting her.
Irani was criticised after a clip of her shared by news agency ANI. In that clip, she was asked whether menstruating women should be allowed into the Sabarimala temple. To which, she responded, “It is plain common sense. Would you take sanitary napkins soaked in menstrual blood into a friend’s home? So why would you take them into the house of God."
Irani said that it was fake news and shared the entire clip of the video, where she is also seen talking about not being allowed into a fire temple, as she is a 'practicing Hindu'. "When my child was born, I was not allowed into a fire temple, and told to wait in the car," she is heard saying in the video.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. These are 2 factual statements. Rest of the propaganda / agenda being launched using me as bait is well just that ... bait."
Hitting out at her critics over her sanitary napkin remark, Irani said, "As far as those who jump the gun regarding women visiting friend’s place with a sanitary napkin dipped in menstrual blood — I am yet to find a person who ‘takes’ a blood soaked napkin to ‘offer’ to any one let alone a friend. 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?? (sic)"
Earlier, in a session speaking at the "Young Thinkers" conference organised by the British High Commission and the Observer Research Foundation was asked to give her views on the Sabrimala row.
"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," she said.
In a series of tweets, she said, "
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