'Soch badlo': Women post images in 'ripped jeans' after Uttarakhand CM says they set bad example

Uttarakhand’s newly appointed Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat’s statement about women wearing ripped jeans has sparked outrage. Women have taken to social media to assert that nobody is entitled to judge anyone on the basis of their clothes. Rawat had said that it “shocks” him to see women wearing ripped jeans and questioned what kind of an “example” they are going to set in front of their children and society. Speaking at an event on Tuesday, Rawat said that due to a lack of values, youngsters today are following strange fashion trends and consider themselves to be big shots after wearing jeans that are ripped at the knees. The chief minister said young people go to the market to buy ripped jeans and added that if they can’t find one, they cut their jeans using scissors. Rawat went on to describe the attire of a woman who sat next to him on a flight. He said the woman was wearing boots, jeans ripped at the knees and several bangles in her hands. “Two children were travelling with her. She runs an NGO, goes out in the society and has two children but she wears jeans ripped at the knees. What values will she impart?” he stated. Responding to Rawat’s problematic statement, women started posting their pictures on social media wearing a pair of ripped jeans. Actor Gul Panag registered her protest against the statement by sharing a picture of herself along with the hashtag #rippedjeans.

#RippedJeansTwitter pic.twitter.com/zwitZiIE9k

— Gul Panag (@GulPanag) March 17, 2021

Ankita Konwar, former air hostess and wife of actor-model Milind Soman, also participated in the ripped jeans trend. Although she said that she likes sarees better, Ankita added that “ripped jeans aren’t bad either”.

I mean I’m all for sarees but ripped jeans aren’t bad either 😆 #rippedjeans pic.twitter.com/KrLraw6yhG

— Ankita Konwar (@5Earthy) March 17, 2021

Women from opposition parties also participated in the Twitter trend #rippedjeans. The spokesperson of Samajwadi Party Juhie Singh shared a picture of herself wearing a salwar suit in support of ripped jeans and said that nobody gets to judge others based on clothing, no matter whether they wear jeans or not.

Jeans or No Jeans no one gets to judge anyone on basis of their clothes ,in support of #rippedjeans pic.twitter.com/jUQYXcYkMB

— Juhie Singh (@juhiesingh) March 18, 2021

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Aiyshwarya Mahadev, the Congress party’s media panelist, shared an image where she and a friend can be seen wearing ripped jeans. The politician said that if clothing determined culture and character then god men would not have been accused of heinous crimes.

If culture and character were determined by clothing, we wouldn’t have god men accused of the most heinous crimes. A party than cannot ensure the safety of women, will vilify them.

Here’s my best friend @NikhilKondajji and I in #RippedJeans. Also go fly a kite Mr CM 🙄 pic.twitter.com/YXRPMTkHri

— Aiyshwarya Mahadev | ಐಶ್ವರ್ಯ ಮಂಚನಹಳ್ಳಿ ಮಹದೇವ (@AiyshwaryaM) March 17, 2021

Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi also requested CM Rawat to change his thinking in order to change the country.

Ripped Jeans aur Kitab.
The country’s ‘sanskriti’ & ‘sanskaar’ are impacted by men who sit and judge women and their choices. Soch badlo Mukhyamantri Rawat ji, tabhi desh badlega. #RippedJeansTwitter pic.twitter.com/qYXcN88fY6

— Priyanka Chaturvedi🇮🇳 (@priyankac19) March 18, 2021

With inputs from PTI