I've heard about popcorn but not porn, BJP lawmaker Harnath Singh Yadav said in Rajya Sabha
A BJP lawmaker from Uttar Pradesh was asked by Union Minister Smriti Irani to be careful with his choice of words when he was speaking on the proposed changes to a law on sexual crimes against children in parliament on Wednesday.
BJP lawmaker Harnath Singh Yadav had blamed the content on TV and social media for the rise in sexual offenders during the debate in Rajya Sabha. "The question is where are these sexual offenders coming from? The fact is, what we are serving is what we are getting," he said.
"My friend came to visit me and he started talking about porn. I was confused. I have heard of popcorn, but not porn," Mr Yadav said.
Ms Irani, who had introduced the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Amendment) Bill, 2019 in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, interjected and asked Mr Yadav "to be decent while explaining his concerns".
"Yadav ji is elder to me, but there are a lot of women sitting here and this discussion is being viewed by the entire country. Please be a little decent while explaining your concerns," Ms Irani told the lawmaker.
Harnath Singh Yadav, 78, had opened his speech by quoting an example of an eight-year-old boy who goes to a movie theatre and watches a film about mythical character King Harishchandra, known for never lying. He said the boy then chose the "path of honesty and became a good man".
In contrast, Mr Yadav said, a child now only sees "objectionable content from day to night".
"Film actresses are selling condoms in advertisements. On music channels, the songs that get played are Munni Badnaam Hui, Chikni Chameli, Jhandu Balm, Tere Saath Karunga Gandhi Baat... The minds of children are gentle. What effect will these things have?" he had said.
The bill involving amendments to the POCSO Act by including death penalty for aggravated sexual assault on children was passed by the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. It will now be sent to the Lok Sabha.