Karnataka assembly panel blames cell phones for rising crime against women

Bangalore, July 12: A house panel of the

Legislative Assembly has recommended a ban on

in schools and colleges, saying it is the device which is responsible for the rising rape and other crimes against women.

The Karnataka Legislature Committee for Women and Child Development headed by Congress MLA Shakuntala Shetty said in its report tabled before the assembly that mobile phones were spoiling the atmosphere in schools and colleges and were used to lure girls to remote placed where they were sexually exploited.

Shetty, an MLA from coastal Karnataka, was a BJP legislator from 2004 and 2007 and joined the Congress last year, ahead of the state elections in which the Congress won. She was also known to be a Sangh Parivar activist.

The MLA who made the proposal has a Sangh Parivar background

However, this is not the first time that the Karnataka government has proposed a ban on mobile phones in schools and colleges. The previous BJP government had also sought a ban on mobile phones, though citing health hazards from using them for long hours, as the reason.

Union minister from Karnataka Ananth Kumar also said that mobile phones should not be allowed in schools and colleges.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah differed with his MLA's views, saying he didn't feel that mobile phones affected the behavior of children.

Shetty, who found support from the RSS in this regard, however, said that her recommendation was based on a deep study and not because of any ideological reasons.

Oneindia News