Bihar minister blames mobile phones and non-vegetarian food for surge in rapes

Mobile phones and non-vegetarian food are reasons for surge in rape cases, a Bihar minister today said, but his Chief Minister was quick to distance himself from the comments.

"Many students misuse mobile phones by watching blue films and hearing obscene songs which pollute their minds," Bihar Art, Culture and Youth Affairs minister Binay Bihari told reporters outside the Assembly.

"You pay a surprise visit to any school and you will find costly mobile phones in the hands of students of higher classes," he said adding they also exchanged 'dirty' SMSes.

"It's like issuing license for a revolver to individuals in the name of self-defence, but misused for criminal purposes," Bihari said, stressing that for school students, a mobile phone with Internet facility was only a source of pollution of their minds.

The minister, who is also an actor and singer in Bhojpuri language, urged that use of mobile phones by school students be prohibited.

"I will give a suggestion to Education department on this and also make surprise inspections to ensure that mobile phones are not carried by students in school," he said.