The next time you’re out in Kerala, think before you look around. Kerala’s Excise Commissioner Rishiraj Singh put out his own absurd code of conduct to follow. He has said that a case can be filed against a man who continually stares at a woman for more than 14 seconds. The only problem is that this is not how it works.
Kamini Jaiswal, a Supreme Court advocate, said that the law cannot be so loosely talked about. Speaking to News18, she said that though staring at a woman inappropriately is harassment and with proper evidence a man can face charges, making incorrect statements to garner accolades is stupid.
Along with his controversial statement, he also mentioned that women should carry pepper spray and be proactive in reporting anti-social elements. Learning martial arts to protect oneself was also advice that he gave to women.
He has created a huge furore with his ‘14 seconds’ comment. Kerala Sports Minister EP Jayarajan said that the comment was “annoying” and the Commissioner can’t just state a law that does not exist.
His tough cop stance is not new, when he served as the state’s transport commissioner in the past, he had imposed strict rules on traffic offenders. In another incident, he refused to attend an event by the excise department because the officers who came to invite him were not in their uniforms despite being on duty.
Twitter Pokes Fun at the Comment
Though the Commissioner’s comment was well-intentioned, it elicited many Twitter reactions.
The comment doesn’t have a problem with 13.5 seconds of lechery.
There will be a boom in the stopwatch business, tweets said.
(With inputs from TNM)
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