A controversy had erupted after Irani said at an event in Mumbai on Tuesday that women had a right to pray but "not desecrate" places of worship.
A complaint was lodged at a Sitamarhi court on Thursday against Union minister Smriti Irani for her alleged remarks on allowing women of menstruating age into the Sabarimala temple in Kerala.
A controversy had erupted after Irani said at an event in Mumbai on Tuesday that women had a right to pray but “not desecrate” places of worship.
"I am nobody to speak of the Supreme Court verdict because I am a current serving cabinet minister... I believe I have the right to pray but I don't have the right to desecrate. And that is the difference that we need to recognise and respect," Smriti Irani, 42, had said at an event in Mumbai called the Young Thinkers' Conference.
"...just plain common sense. Would you take sanitary napkins seeped in menstrual blood and walk into a friend's home? You could not. And would you think it is respectable to do the same thing when you are walking into the house of god?" questioned the minister.
Since many people are talking about my comments — let me comment on my comment.
— Smriti Z Irani (@smritiirani) October 23, 2018
As a practising Hindu married to a practising Zoroastrian I am not allowed to enter a fire temple to pray.
Hours later, she tweeted that she made “2 factual statements” and “rest of the propaganda/agenda” was launched using her as a “bait”. The complaint was lodged before the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Sitamarhi, Saroj Kumari by advocate Thakur Chandan Singh. Singh has made protesters against the entry of women into the shrine as a party in the case.
On September 28, the Supreme Court lifted the ban on entry of women of menstrual age into the Sabarimala temple. However, women were stopped by protesters from climbing up the hilltop shrine.
The complaint has been lodged under Sections 120B (criminal conspiracy to commit an offence punishable with death), 124A (sedition), 353 (deterring public servant from discharge of duty) and 354 (outraging the modesty of a woman) of the Indian Penal Code. The matter is likely to come up for hearing on October 29.
Irani took to Instagram to post her response, tongue firmly in cheek. Sharing a still from her decade-old TV show Kyunki... Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi which shows her gagged and bound, Ms Irani captioned it: "Hum bolega to bologe ki bolta hai..."
Roughly translated, this line from a famous 1974 Kishore Kumar song means "If I speak then you'll accuse me of blabbing."
