Andhra Minister's Remark Holding Mother Responsible for Child's Safety Stirs Row

Her remarks surfaced online on 1 May, after the gangrape at Repalle railway station.

Andhra Pradesh Home Minister Taneti Vanitha

(Photo: TNM)

Andhra Pradesh Home Minister Taneti Vanitha's comments made news on Saturday, 30 April, when she said that it was a "mother's responsibility to protect her child against sexual crimes," and that blaming the police or government for preventing such incidents was not right, has created a furore in the state.

Her remarks, which were made on Saturday, surfaced online a day after, on 1 May, after the gangrape at Repalle railway station.

"Without playing the role of mother, putting the blame on the police department or the government or others isn't right. So, first of all, as a mother, we need to fulfil our responsibilities towards our children properly. While protecting our children, if there's any problem to us or our kids, we can approach police stations," the home minister said, while addressing a press conference after visiting the Disha police station (women's police station) in Visakhapatnam for a routine visit.

At the police station, she further said, "We can definitely control such incidents. Some people go away for work and say they can't control their kids, such circumstances will be there. But protecting our children is our primary responsibility as a mother," she continued.

"So, as a mother, while protecting them, and hoping wholeheartedly no terrible incident happens, and then due to our misfortune if something still happens, we feel bad and seek justice," the home minister added.

TDP Disapproves, Says Andhra Pradesh Unsafe for Women

A portion of the minister's remarks went viral on social media on Sunday, following the shocking gangrape of a migrant worker, where her husband was beaten up and the woman was dragged into the bushes and assaulted by three people, including a minor.

The opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP), sharing the clip of some of the Home Minister's remarks, said that Andhra Pradesh has "never witnessed such an atrocity nor abdication of responsibility" and tweeted the minister's video with the hashtag #APUnsafeforWomen.

Anitha Vangalapudi, TDP Mahila president, said, "Notices are being served to those who stood up for stopping atrocities against women. Today mothers are being blamed. Tomorrow will they say that mothers are the ones causing these incidents? Are you saying that if Vijayamma raised Jagan well, he would not have been in jail for 16 months?"

However, the home minister in a statement said that the TDP and pro-TDP media were spreading false propaganda, without giving full context.

Home Minister Warns TDP Against Spreading False News

The minister dared the TDP and the media houses which spread "false propaganda" to release the full video of the incident.

"It is Andhrajyothi (Telugu newspaper accused of being a TDP mouthpiece) that has insulted these mothers by publishing false news and headlines. The Minister made the statement while specifically talking about incidents where fathers of young girls themselves commit atrocities on them," a statement from the Home Minister’s Office read.

"As a mother, she said that mothers must keep an eye on the situation at home so that such incidents do not happen. She said it is the mother's responsibility to protect children in such instances. But yellow media has distorted my comments, edited out the portion before that particular statement and spreading propaganda against a Dalit woman Home Minister," the statement added.

(Published in arrangement with The News Minute.)