Women rights activists have denounced demeaning comments and actions from a section of Janakpur locals against President Bidhya Devi Bhandari’s visit to Janaki Temple last week.

Some of the locals made vile comments on the President’s single woman status, saying the visit by a widow had made the shrine “inauspicious”.  

“We condemn such words and actions. This has taken us 20 years back, when we had just started the movement for the rights of single women,” said Lily Thapa, founder and executive director of Women For Human Rights Single Women Group.

Wednesday’s incident demeaned cultural and social rights of a widow which are ensured by the constitution, Thapa added, demanding action against those involved in trying to curtail those rights.

Comments made on social media by a Madesi teacher in particular has gone viral on the internet, and women right activists are worried about the condition of women in the region where an educated male teacher does not hesitate to degrade the President for being a widow.

Such comments are psychological abuse against women in general and such actions can only be controlled by bringing those responsible to book, the Feminist Dalit Organisation reacted to the incident. “When the head of state is abused in such a way, imagine the state of women from other minority communities,” said Durga Sob, president of Feminist Dalit Organisation.

The Federation of Nepali Journalists has also expressed concerned over the news published in a local newspaper, Janakpur Today, about the President’s visit to Janakpur.

Concluding the news has defamed the President, the umbrella body of journalists has asked the paper to correct its mistake. It has also urged the Press Council, press regulatory body, for a close scrutiny of published contents.

“It is unfortunate to note publish materials which are not only against the principle and ethics of journalism but also against all human civilisation, culture and constitutional provisions,” the federation said in a statement on Sunday.

UML flays discourtesy

KATHMANDU: The CPN-UML has expressed its serious concern over incident at the Janaki temple in Janakpur on Wednesday when President Bidhya Bhandari visited the shrine to observe the Bibaha Panchami festival.

In a press statement on Sunday, party’s Spokesperson Yogesh Bhattarai denounced the protest against and mistreatment of President Bhandari as a “shameful and patriarchal” move. “The behaviour shown ahead of President’s visit to Janaki Temple is barbaric and uncivilised,” said the statement. “Our party condemns such act and has drawn the attention of Morcha-affiliated leaders to apologise in public.”

Leaders and cadres of the Madhes-based parties hurled stones at President’s motorcade. Media reports suggested that the locals cleaned the temple floors with “holy” water and milk to “purify” the temple premises arguing that the shrine “became impure after the visit of President Bhandari”.