Union Textile Minister Smriti Irani on Tuesday took to micro-blogging site Twitter to clarify the remarks made in relation to the Supreme Court's stand on the entry of women into the Sabarimala temple.
Referring to the comment made earlier in the day, Irani tweeted, "Since many people are talking about my comments - let me comment on my comment. As a practicing Hindu married to a practicing Zoroastrian, I am not allowed to enter a fire temple to pray. I respect that standby Zoroastrian community/priests and do not approach any court for a right to pray as a mother of 2 Zoroastrian children. Similarly, Parsi or non-Parsi menstruating women irrespective of age do not go to a Fire Temple."
She continued her social media outpouring in three more tweets and expressed fascination over not being allowed to "have own point of view."
"These are 2 factual statements. Rest of the propaganda/agenda being launched using me as bait is well just that ... bait. As far as those who jump the gun regarding women visiting friend's place with a sanitary napkin dipped in menstrual blood - I am yet to find a person who 'takes' a blood-soaked napkin to 'offer' to anyone let alone a friend."
"But what fascinates me though does not surprise me is that as a woman I am not free to have my own point of view. As long as I conform to the 'liberal' point of view I'm acceptable. How Liberal is that?" wrote Irani while culminating a series of five tweets.
Earlier in the day, Irani, while speaking at the Young Thinkers' Conference organised by the British Deputy High Commission and the Observer Research Foundation, had remarked that every individual had the right to pray but not to desecrate.
"I have the right to pray, but don't have the right to desecrate. I am nobody to speak on Supreme Court verdict because I am a serving cabinet minister. But just plain common sense. Would you take sanitary napkins seeped in menstrual blood into a friend's home? You would not. And would you think that it is respectful to do the same when you walk into the house of God? So that is the difference. That is my personal opinion," she had said.
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