After Calling Burqa "Evil Custom", UP Minister Says Women Should Have Freedom To Choose

Burqa Evil Custom Remark: Anand Swaroop Shukla, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs in Uttar Pradesh, came forward on Thursday to clarify his earlier statement on the burqa.

The minister on Wednesday had compared Burqa to the regressive divorce custom in the Muslim religion called Triple Talaq. He had called it an "inhuman and evil custom" and asked for it to be banned in India. After receiving backlash for his statement, Shukla came forward with clarification. He said that women should have the freedom to wear clothes of their choice.

He said, "Women of all religions should have the freedom to choose what to wear. Nothing should be imposed on them in the name of conservatism and tradition. Religious leaders should take society forward with the 21st century."

He claimed that Burqa has been banned in several Muslim countries and that people with progressive thinking are abolishing the burqa. Shukla also said that Muslim women should have the right to choose whether they want to wear it or not. He was asked if the government will take steps to actually ban the burqa in India, to which he replied, "This topic is about the society. Muslim religious leaders should take cognizance of this and take the opinion of Muslim women."

Shukla had earlier raised concerns over the loudspeakers used at mosques when he complained to the Ballia district magistrate about the volume of the loudspeakers. He claimed that he was not able to carry out his duties due to the loudspeakers and asked for their volume to be fixed as per court orders. Shukla also called the loudspeakers a source of noise pollution.

"People of the area are facing extreme noise pollution and it is leaving an adverse impact on the health of children, ailing and elderly people apart from disturbing studies of students, " he said. He also claimed that mosques apart from the five-time namaz, announce donation requests for the construction of mosques "loudly".