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CNN-IBN
Aug 10, 2014 at 12:07pm IST

Muzaffarnagar: In yet another bizzare dikat of the Khap Panchayat in Uttar Pradesh’s Muzzafarnagar district, it has banned unmarried girls from wearing jeans and using mobile phones. The panchayat claimed that these have a bad influence and were responsible for girls being harassed.

The panchayat of Gujjar community was held at Jadwad village on Friday. It passed the diktat banning wearing of jeans and use of mobile phones by unmarried girl. The panchayat also claimed that eve-teasing incidents had increased due to “objectionable” clothes worn by girls.

It also asked the community people not to have disc jockey during wedding functions.

One of the residents said, “Wearing jeans is not good as boys get attracted to it and it gives rise to crimes.”

One of the girls, “I am ok with not wearing jeans and not using mobiles. We should keep control on ourselves.”

Congress spokesperson Rashid Alvi hit out at the Khap saying no one can discriminate against women. He said, “Women are equally free in this country. They can wear what they want just the way men wear what they want. No one can discriminate against women. If someone does, then law should take action against them.”

Khap panchayats had earlier imposed similar bans which drew flak from several sections of the society.

(With additional information from PTI)