Noida: Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Culture and Tourism Mahesh Sharma on Saturday blamed the media for misquoting him about girls going out late at night, asserting that only a part of his statement was shown on television.
“This is true that I respect India’s culture, but that does not mean that I differentiate between a son and a daughter. I have a daughter and a son, and I have never said that my daughter should not go out late in the evening. My daughter is a doctor and she often comes home late at night from work,” Sharma told ANI here.
“Even PM Modi had earlier said that women are even hanging out late at night in Gujarat and it’s absolutely safe. Women from our country are going to space, then, how can I say that they are not equal. I was misquoted by the media and only a part of the statement was shown on television,” Sharma added.
Sharma had earlier stoked a controversy by saying that girls’ wanting a night out is unacceptable in India.
“Girls wanting a night out may be all right elsewhere, but it is not part of Indian culture,” Sharma told a private TV channel on Friday.