Women wearing fewer clothes creates trouble, says Home Minister Ali, sparks row

Hyderabad: Telangana home minister, Mahmood Ali sparked controversy with his comments regarding women’s attire, following an incident at a women’s degree college in Hyderabad.

The controversy began when KV Ranga Reddy College for Women in Santoshnagar instructed female students to remove their burqas before taking exams, which caused anger and frustration among students and their families.

In response to the incident, minister Ali said, “You can wear whatever you want to but don’t dress like Europeans; it can create problems. Women must keep themselves covered as much as possible. Women wearing खम कपडे (short dresses) creates trouble, people feel relaxed if women wear more clothes. They can wear clothes like traditional Muslims or Hindus with the ‘pallu’ on their head. Dressing in such a manner would gain respect for the individual.”

The remarks made by the home minister have ignited a heated debate, with many expressing disappointment over his views, which they consider regressive and disrespectful towards women’s choices.

Human rights activist Jasween Jairath expressed her support for the affected women and called for solidarity, discouraging others from focusing on dictating what women should wear.

She said, “It is disheartening to witness a public figure making comments that disregard women’s independence and perpetuate outdated stereotypes. Instead of dictating what women should wear, he should support and stand with the women who were affected. Rather than engaging in arguments about appropriate clothing, the focus should be on addressing the violation of their rights and creating more inclusive environments in educational institutions.”

The incident at the KV Ranga Reddy College for Women involved several female students who arrived wearing burqas to take their degree exams. However, the college authorities demanded the removal of their hijabs before entering the exam hall, leading to anger and frustration among the students and their parents.

According to a student of the college, “Although we didn’t want to remove the burqas, we were forced to remove them to enter the examination hall. This has happened when other colleges in the city are allowing students to write the exam with burqas.”

The Telangana Congress condemned the statement by the Home Minister. A post has been written on Twitter saying, "The remarks are sexist and deserve to be condemned by the so-called modern prince IT Minister KT Rama Rao, who feels his modern outlook is attracting the world’s attention."

What kind of government is the BRS running? the party further questioned.

NewsMeter approached minister Mahmood Ali’s office for comment on the matter, and his response is currently awaited.