Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said protecting girl child is everyone’s “social, national and human responsibility”, and urged women sarpanchs to play an important role in preventing female foeticides.
The Prime Minister also said discriminatory mentality towards a girl child needs to change.
He was addressing a national convention of women sarpanchs on the occasion of International Woman’s Day here.
“A lot needs to be done in the country towards ‘beti bachao, beti padhao’ (save and educate girl child). At least in the villages where the sarpanch is a woman, we should have no cases of female foeticide. If a sarpanch decides to create awareness, she can achieve that,” he said.
“Against every 1,000 men, there are 800, 850, 900 women (in different states). If such an imbalance is created in society, how will it progress? It is society’s responsibility, and women sarpanch can possibly be more successful in changing the social mindset,” he said at Swachh Shakti 2017 programme held at Mahatma Mandir here.
“Women sarpanch can probably be more successful in protecting girl child and foetus. Women have proven their capability. They have turned divine whatever opportunity they have got. Therefore, ‘beti bachao’ is our social, national, human responsibility,” he said.
Modi said the discriminatory mentality towards daughters should change, as it impedes society’s progress.
“The discriminatory mentality has to be fought and changed with determination. Change is happening. Our daughters won Olympic gold medals and made us proud. In Board exams, only girls are seen on top of the list,” he said.
He further exhorted around 6,000 women sarpanchs from across the country, who attended the convention, to ensure that girls in their respective villages are sent to school.
“I would request sarpanch women to ensure that girls also go to schools. This does not need budget. Government has made schools, and a village has to make no special allocation. One only has to see who all have not sent their girls to schools,” he said.
But, the prime minister remained the focus of mocking and criticism for his alleged hypocrisy towards India’s women as his detractors accused him of giving his tacit approval to those who hounded girls on social media.
Taking a dig at Modi, Delhi chief minister, Arvind Kejriwal, on Wednesday had once again asked him to unfollow the vicious Twitter trolls, known for abusing and issuing rape threats to women.
Just when Prime Minister expressed his concerns about women while addressing women a gathering women panchayat members, a young woman from Noida was gagged and whisked away by police when she raised slogans near the podium where Modi was addressing.
Hours earlier, according to IANS, two gangrape victims too were taken into preventive custody by the Gujarat Police before they could make a representation before the Prime Minister.
Many Modi’s supporters had issued rape threats to a martyr’s daughter after she questioned the violent politics of the ABVP, the RSS’s student wing.
Abusive trolls enjoying Modi’s blessings has been a topic of intense social media debate but even in the face of incessant criticism from intellectuals and hosts of civil rights activists, the prime minister has not stopped following them. Critics say that the abusive trolls in question form the infamous Twitter army of the saffron party.
Here are some other social media comments mocking the prime minister;
Mr.Modi against whom there are evidences of spying on a woman will be delivering a lecture today at Ahmedabad on international women's day.
— Jignesh Mevani (@jigneshmevani80) March 8, 2017
Before Modi *liberates* Muslim women, he should respond to Jashodaben's repeated RTIs about marital status & security.#WomenRevoltAtNagpur
— Shehla Rashid شہلا رشید (@Shehla_Rashid) March 8, 2017
I request Modi ji on this Women's Day to constitute a Brave Rape Threat Award and give it to someone from the twitter handles he follows.
— Radha Charan Das (@radhacharandas) March 8, 2017
This is our shameless PM on International Women's Day.
A WOMAN sarpanch being greeted in Modi style ? pic.twitter.com/CJTxgepbug— Syed Zaeem Zama (@SyedZaeemZama) March 8, 2017
On women's day PM Modi was in Ahmedabad ,he gave long speeches but never felt like even calling up his deserted wife Yashoda Ben.
— Kishlaysharma (@Kishlaysharma) March 8, 2017
The most basic thing Modi can do on this #WomensDay is to condemn all those (incl his followers) who abuse women online. @sanjayuvacha
— Political Liberal (@SecularMilitant) March 8, 2017
(PTI inputs)