‘Next, you’ll ask for condoms’: Bihar officer’s retort to schoolgirl over sanitary pads

A senior official in Bihar’s Women Development Corporation has stirred a controversy with her abrasive responses to a question by girl students at an event for Class 9 and 10 students in Patna on Wednesday, September 28. A video of the questions by the students and the officer's testy and irritated answers at the 'Sashakt Beti, Samriddh Bihar' event, organised by the Corporation and Unicef, went viral on social media.

As a student asked that the government is providing school dress, scholarship, bicycles and many other facilities to students, can't it provide sanitary pads for Rs 20 to 30 to girl students - drawing applause, senior IAS officer and Bihar Women and Children Development Corporation MD Harjot Kaur Bhamra hit out, saying that people are clapping over the question but these are endless demands.

"Today, the government would provide you with sanitary pads for Rs 20 to Rs 30. Then you ask for jeans, pants and then, beautiful shoes," she said but did not stop there. When it comes to family planning, tomorrow, you will ask for nirodh (condoms). Why do you want everything for free from the government? What is the need of it?"

At that, the student said the government comes to them to seek their votes. Bhamra angrily replied that "This is the height of stupidity. Then don't vote, ‘Ban Jao Pakistan (become like Pakistan).” The girl student responded that she is an Indian and why would she go to Pakistan?

"The government is providing facilities from the money of taxpayers. If taxpayers are paying taxes to the government, why would they not demand for the services?" the girl asked.

The response of the senior official has triggered huge criticism on social media. Sharing a video of the incident, a BJP functionary Dr Amrita Rathod said, "Meet an IAS officer of the Nitish-Tejashwi government who asks students of Bihar to go to Pakistan for having sought sanitary pads”.

अब नितिश-तेजस्वि सरकार के IAS से मिलिए। हरजोत कौर बिहार की बेटियों को सानिटरी नैपकिन माँगने पर पाकिस्तान भेजेंगी। pic.twitter.com/VjVv0EF0AP

— Dr. Amrita Rathod BJP (@AmritaRathodBJP) September 28, 2022