It is said that a picture speaks a thousand words. The trouble often begins when people tend more to it, or so it seems. That’s what happened with Electronics and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad when he tweeted a picture with all men standing around him and captioned it: ‘It was heartening to interact with the village women….”
The picture was taken when Prasad visited Digi Gaon at Dhanauri Kalan village in Gautam Budh Nagar district, Uttar Pradesh on Sunday. The minister’s tweet on a sanitary pad manufacturing unit in the village has put him in an awkward situation. Prasad, after interacting with the village women, posted a picture of him along with a group of men surrounding him and tweeted that the sanitary pad manufacturing unit not only created employment among the women but also promoted awareness about menstrual hygiene.
Many Twitter user remarked that the minister’s stance simply highlights the BJP’s and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s (RSS’) stance towards women.
Prasad’s tweet:
It was heartening to interact with the village women who have set up sanitary pad manufacturing unit in Digi Gaon Dhanauri Kalan. This has not only created source of livelihood but also promoted awareness about menstrual hygiene. This is part of #StreeSwabhiman initiative of CSC. pic.twitter.com/YHGd9nNwGv
— Ravi Shankar Prasad (@rsprasad) May 20, 2018
Here are the reactions:
1)
Modi Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad interacting with village women- and I am wondering where do they get this shamelessness from? Like its innate in BJP Wallahs or RSS has some special course for this! pic.twitter.com/aQRqO5BZ6u
— Samar (@Samar_Anarya) May 20, 2018
2)
Spot the village women https://t.co/pJmtQ6If3p
— Veena Venugopal (@veenavenugopal) May 20, 2018
3)
Awesome initiative but wait where have all the women gone?! Err perhaps taking a leaf out of the Karnataka legislative assembly ( 2 percent MLAs are women)?! Impossible for India to develop when women get limited say or representation @KarnikaKohli @kiranshaw #WomenEmpowerment
— Nooraine Fazal (@noorainee) May 21, 2018
4)
12% GST on sanitary pads shows well how much concerned you really are ..
BTW, where are the village women whom you were interacting with .. ?
Only self glorification, photo ops … ???— Jyoti Sharma (@jyotirajesh20) May 20, 2018
5)
It was heart threatened to see 12% GST on Sanitary Napkins. Mr rsprasad and fellow ministers thinks sanitary napkins are luxury goods not the necessity of women and Sir if you doing something then remove GST on Sanitary Napkins.
— Aslam Khader (@Aslam_khader) May 20, 2018
6)
Where are the women Sir? It would be good if we get to see their pics too. Intentional or not, such small things bring down BJPs image.
— Namita Bhargava (@Namitaangelite) May 20, 2018