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Popular Telugu travel YouTuber Anvesh has been booked by the Hyderabad police based on a complaint from actor and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Karate Kalyani alleging that he made offensive remarks against Hindu deities Sita and Draupadi.
Anvesh was commenting on actor Sivaji’s misogynistic remarks saying women must avoid wearing revealing clothes to prevent sexual harassment, which triggered a major controversy last week. In a video posted on his YouTube channel Prapancha Yatrikudu, Anvesh said that in Hindu mythology, Sita was abducted by Raavana when she was wearing a saree and dressed respectably.
He also mentioned that Keechaka tried to sexually assault Draupadi. Stating that both Raavana and Keechaka faced consequences for their actions and were eventually killed, Anvesh asked what happened to the thousands of men booked for rape in India in recent years, where the victims were often women wearing sarees, or minors.
“We shouldn’t be telling women to wear sarees. We should be telling men to have the right mindset,” Anvesh said.
Right-wing groups have also rallied against Anvesh for criticising Hindu leader Garikapati Narasimha Rao’s views on women’s clothing, while commenting on actor Sivaji’s misogynistic remarks.
Anvesh had slammed Garikapati Narasimha Rao, who is popular for his discourses on Hindu texts, for his past remarks in which he suggested that women invite sexual harassment by wearing clothes like t-shirts.
Anvesh reacted to the claims that his remarks were offensive to Hindus and said, “I was speaking about women's freedom. Many rapes have happened in recent years including of women wearing sarees and children too. When I brought that up, they didn't have an answer and instead portrayed my comments as if I spoke against Sita.”
The Punjagutta police have reportedly registered an FIR against Anvesh under sections 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke a breach of peace) and 351 (criminal intimidation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).