Now BSP gets sexist: No mobile phones for girls

Difference of ideologies aside, one thing that all of India’s political parties seem to have in common is an extremely disturbing world view of women and how they ought to be regulated.

Former allies may fight to the death on retail FDI, but there seems to be tacit agreement that rape is almost always the woman’s fault, and is caused by too much free interaction between the two sexes.

Then there are all these other evils such as spicy food - especially chow mein. And now the latest device that is leading India’s fair woman astray has been identified by BSP member Rajpal Saini.

“There is no need to give mobile phones to women and children. It distracts them and is useless. Why do women need phones? My mother, wife and sister never had mobile phones. They survived without one,” said Saini in a public rally.

Later the MP, tried to clarify saying that he had meant that mobile phones should not be given to children as it distracted them from studies.

“What I am saying is that students should not be given mobile phones. It is the age to study, and mobile phones are a distraction. Due to mobile phones, they lose their way and do not focus on their studies,” he said.

It will be interesting to see if his party boss Mayawati will take very kindly to the comment or the explanation.