CHANDIGARH: A controversial cover of a Haryana government magazine has invited unrelenting criticism from the Opposition. The March 2017 issue of Krishi Samvad- a supplement of Haryana Samvad magazine, published once a month by the government, shows a veiled woman carrying cattle feed on her head, with a caption saying, “Pride of the 'ghoonghat' is the identity of my Haryana.”
Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, Abhay Singh Chautala said the government should be working to empower women, instead of appealing to all to shun the practice of covering their face. “While on the one hand they 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,” he said.
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.”
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 the state backward.
