BJP minister drives controversy, says hostels for girls only if parents guarantee safety
In a controversial statement that is likely to raise hackles of women groups, a minister in Madhya Pradesh has said girls seeking hostel facility should get a written undertaking from their parents that they will take care of their security.
"Girls might face problems if they stay alone. In view of this, girl students and their parents have to give in writing that they will take care of their security and then only the government will decide to build hostels for them as well," Madhya Pradesh Tribal and Scheduled Caste Welfare Minister Kunwar Vijay Shah said.
The minister said this while speaking on the concluding day of All India Vidyarthi Parishad's state level scheduled tribe programme on Saturday.
"The government can give them hostels, but the girls and their parents have to arrange for their own security," Shah said.
The government will bear hostel expenses, but the protection will be the responsibility of the girls and their parents, he said adding, that the girls should return to their hostels by 8 PM.
He said the state government had decided to build hostels for higher secondary students under 'Students' Hostel Programme'.
