Smriti Irani's Sabarimala Temple remarks triggers controversy

The purported comment triggered a controversy as even the Delhi Commission for Women Chairperson criticised her for the remark.

Irani was quoted as saying by the media: " I believe I have the right to pray but I don’t have the right to desecrate."

"And that is the difference we need to recognise and respect," she said.

She said: "But just plain common sense. Would you take sanitary napkins steeped in menstrual blood and walk into a friend’s home? You would not. And would you think that is it respectful to do the same when you walk into the house of god? So that is the difference. I have a right to pray but I don’t have the right to desecrate that is my personal opinion."

Smriti later denied making any sunch remark and tweeted: "Fake news ...... calling you out on it. Will post my video soon."

Delhi Commission for Women Chairperson Swati Maliwal slammed the Minister over the remark and posted: "Shameful comment by Smriti Irani. Is menstruating woman only a sanitary pad 4 this lady? When she has periods, doesn't she go out of her house? Doesn't go 2 her friend's place? Without periods, can there be babies? Horrible words reinforcing patriarchy & misogyny by a Minister!"

Smriti's comment was criticised by several netizens.

One Dr Rama S tweeted: "Smriti Irani must be the only woman in India to get a period leave. I mean she won't take her blood-soaked napkins inside the sacred walls of her ministry building."

However, some netizens said the comment was distorted by the media.

A netizen named Sandeep Singh remarked: "What Smriti Irani ma'am said about sabrimala episode and how media manipulated and distorted the facts. "

Dhairya Lakshmi, one netizen, said: "Only idiots would carry blood soaked sanitary napkins anywhere. @smritiirani ji is not talking about "wearing" a sanitary napkin, so quit twisting words!."

Sabarimala and Pinarayi Vijayan's remarks:

A day after Kerala's Sabarimala Temple was shut without the entry of a single menstruating woman, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has come down hard upon Hindu, right-wing organisation Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), blaming it for not allowing women to enter the shrine, media reports said.

Vijayan said as he has been quoted by Times Now, "They (attackers) had been monitoring the movement of these women minute by minute, in order to perpetrate the coordinated attacks. All this is part of the Sangh Parivar’s strategy to turn the temple into a warzone."

The shrine opened on Oct 18 for the first time after the Supreme Court had passed the judgement allowing menstruating women, belonging to the age group of 10 to 50, to enter the temple.

However, several men and women had protested outside the temple, trying to prevent the entry of women in the shrine. The temple was closed on Monday after five-day puja.

Reiterating the Kerala government's commitment to implement the top court's order, Vijayan said: "The Kerala government had made it clear in front of the Supreme Court that it will implement the verdict. The government had arranged all facilities. Neither the government nor the police tried to block the devotees. The RSS tried to turn Sabarimala Temple into a war zone."

Menstruating women were earlier banned from entering the temple for centuries as a part of the religious practice.

Two women- an activist and a journalist- who on Friday attempted to enter Kerala's Sabrimala Temple, returned without entering the shrine.

The two women turned back after the priest threatened to shut the temple if they don't go back.

One hundred and fifty police personnel had escorted the two women to the shrine.

Protests had rocked the state in recent times over the verdict with demonstrators not supporting the order of allowing women aged between 10 and 50 from entering the temple.

As the gate of the temple was set to open on Wednesday for the first time since the Supreme Court passed its judgement with the likelihood of women trying to enter, protesters, keeping a vigil against any such eventuality, turned aggressive, intimidating and hounding female devotees who tried to venture into the shrine, beating up women journalists and clashing with the police.

A five-judge bench of the Supreme Court on Sept 28 had lifted the ban on women's entry into the Sabarimala temple declaring the relevant rules as unconstitutional.