A khap panchayat in Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar district has banned girls from using mobile phones and wearing jeans.
The residents were asked not to use social networking websites such as Facebook and WhatsApp and the order was passed by the panchayat of Gujjar community at Jadwad village. The order would apply to 46 villages in the Muzaffarnagar area.
In the past also, such diktats have been issued by Khap panchayats or caste councils in UP and Harayana, drawing flak from several quarters.
A community panchayat in August had banned girls from wearing jeans and keeping mobile phones stating that they were having a “bad” effect on them and were responsible for eve-teasing incidents.
Though, it has to be seen how the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party government reacts to such diktat.
The Panchayat had passed the diktat to the unmarried girl banning them from wearing of jeans and use of mobile phones.
The eve-teasing incidents had increased due to “objectionable” clothes worn by girls, claimed the Panchayat.
Ashok Kumar, Village head was among those present at the meeting.Thousands of people from 52 villages attended the meeting and the order was issued in the meeting. Most of them belonged to the Yadav clan from Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Haryana.