Woman journalist told not to sit near monks

A television journalist was denied a seat in the first three rows at a function organised by a sect of the Jain community. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, who was the chief guest at the function, criticised the attitude of the organisers.

Mr Fadnavis was being felicitated by the Shree Santacruz Jain Tapagaccha Sangh for his government’s decision to ban the slaughter of cows at a function held at Swaminarayan Temple in Dadar on Thursday.

Rashmi Puranik, a reporter with a news channel, was asked to move to the fourth row, saying the first three were reserved for men.

“Earlier, when I sat in the third row, reserved for reporters, the security guard and a volunteer did not allow me to sit there. When asked why, he said that his community did not allow women to sit before a Jain monk,” Ms Puranik said.

“He was insulting women and hence I deliberately chose to sit in the first row. Following this, another volunteer came to me and said that monks in the Swaminarayan sect followed a strict practice of celibacy and women were not allowed to sit near them and that I should leave the seat,” she added.

Despite intervention by the BJP Mumbai chief Ashish Shelar, all female reporters were asked to sit beyond the fourth row. Also, Alka Kerkar, deputy mayor was also not allowed to occupy a seat in the first three rows, Ms Puranik said.