Telangana: Problem for girls if they wear short dresses, says Telangana mantri after burqa row in college

HYDERABAD: A day after a Hyderabad college purportedly told a few girl students to remove their burqa before entering the examination hall, Telangana home minister Mohd Mahmood Ali on Saturday said, “kum kapde pehene se pareshaani hoti hai. Zyada kapde pahene se logon ko sukun hota hai (it’s a problem for girls if they wear short dresses, but it provides comfort if they are fully dressed).” While condemning the move to stop burqa-clad examinees and vowing to act against college authorities, he told reporters the Telangana government’s policies were stoutly based on secularism.
“We don’t have any curbs on wearing burqas in a classroom or exam hall. People can wear whatever they want, but if they dress in European style, it may not be right,” he said.
Later clarifying his remarks, he told TOI that he had only commented on preserving Indian culture and not on women’s attire. “I only sought to emphasise on the need to protect our culture,” he added.
Reacting to his the home minister’s remarks, Telangana BJP chief Bandi Sanjay tweeted , “that Telangana government now wants to decide what women should wear. “While While state home minister lectures citizens on dress code, why’s he silent on rising incidence of rape.”