PANAJI
Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar’s fears over girls consuming alcohol have evoked sharp reactions on social media, with several women and noted figures taking to twitter and the hashtag #GirlsWhoDrinkBeer to question the chief minister.
“I have begun to fear now because even girls have started drinking beer...that tolerance limit is being crossed,” Parrikar had said, during an interview as part of the ‘Yuva Sansad’ programme organised by the Goa Legislature Secretariat.
His comments drew strong reactions, with women using the hashtag #GirlsWhoDrinkBeer to troll the chief minister on twitter. Many women shared images of themselves with their drinks and tagging photos and messages of beer-drinking girls, to prove that girls were well within their rights to consume alcohol.
“Since when did men have their exclusive rights over drinks,” questioned Sabina Yesmin, while Priya Samagod tweeted: “Yes girls drink beer and as long as they aren’t breaking the law I cannot see how this is worrying. Please wake up and realize this is 2018! @manoharparrikar.”
“I don’t drink alcohol by choice...but still want to support #GirlsWhoDrinkBeer... so cheers!!!” posted Shvetlana.
Posting a glass of beer on her twitter account, rach_aha said: “Let’s drink our beer and raise a toast for the men who fear #GirlsWhoDrinkBeer”.
Vivek Agnihotri posted a photo of an elderly woman raising a bottle of beer with the comment: “A genuine girl. No fake feminism of the ‘selfie gang’.” His post received hundreds of retweets and likes.
Mahatma Gandhi’s great-grandson Tushar Gandhi also took to twitter to voice his disapproval at Parrikar’s comments.
“PM is annoyed by women who laugh, Parrikar is scared of girls drinking beer. Yogi offers solution keep them tied to the door post,” said Gandhi.
Incidentally, Parrikar’s comments were also the subject of comments in the State.
“It’s a shame that a chief minister of the state is making such a cheap statement. There are much more serious issues that he has to focus on. If he is so concerned of the women, then why has he not stopped sale of alcohol in the State,” asked former Moira sarpanch Virgilia D’Sa.
