A photo caption in a Haryana government magazine saying that the 'ghoonghat' (veil or headscarf) was the “identity of the State” has invited criticism from the Opposition. It accused the ruling BJP government of promoting a regressive mindset.
The March 2017 issue of Krishi Samvad , a supplement of Haryana Samvad magazine, published once a month by the government, carries a photograph of a veiled woman carrying cattle feed on her head and its caption says that the “pride of the 'ghoonghat' is the identity of my Haryana”.
Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said, “A regressive mindset and objectification of women is the DNA of the BJP. The Manohar Lal Khattar government has failed to realise that Haryana girls and women have excelled in fields such as space science, sports and the armed forces to name just a few.”
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Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Abhay Singh Chautala said the government should be working towards empowering women. Instead of appealing to all to shun the practice of covering their face, the government was promoting backward thinking.
“While on the one hand they [the BJP] boast of programmes such as ‘Beti bachao-beti padhao’ for the betterment of girls, on the other, a government booklet attempts to promote the practice of veils, which is unfortunate. The government should, in fact, start an awareness drive to discard the veil and empower women,” theb leader of the Indian National Lok Dal said.
Former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda raised doubts over the government’s sincerity towards women's welfare, saying while the world was moving ahead, the State government was taking a step back.
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